18 U.S.C. 2242, Sexual abuse: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025
Of 44 federal trials under 18 U.S.C. 2242 that ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 21 ended in an acquittal (48%). Those trials came from 227 defendants in all, and most of the 227 pleaded guilty: 161, or 71%. Of the 184 convicted, 182 (99%) received a prison term on that charge, and the median was
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In brief: Of 44 federal trials under 18 U.S.C. 2242 that ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 21 ended in an acquittal (48%). Those trials came from 227 defendants in all, and most of the 227 pleaded guilty: 161, or 71%. Of the 184 convicted, 182 (99%) received a prison term on that charge, and the median was 120 months (10 years).
This post uses the Federal Judicial Center's records of 227 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The series also draws on the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 659,036 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
Acquittals at Trial
The U.S. Code gives Title 18, section 2242 the heading "Sexual abuse". This post uses Federal Judicial Center records, which group defendants by the most serious charge left when the case ended.
Juries heard 42 of the 44 trials. They acquitted in 21 of them, which is 50%. The other 2 trials were bench trials decided by a judge, and neither ended in an acquittal.
A trial here is a contested case that reached a verdict. With 44 trials over the whole period, the acquittal share rests on a modest number of verdicts.
Most Defendants Pleaded Guilty
Trials were 19% of the cases. Guilty pleas ended 161 cases (71%), and 22 defendants (10%) had their cases dismissed.
Dismissed in these records means the charges were dismissed. It includes dismissals on the government's motion, such as after a guilty plea in another case. The records do not give the reason for any dismissal.
Counting pleas and trial verdicts together, 184 of the 227 defendants were convicted. That is 81%.
Level of the Charge and Prison Terms
All 227 defendants faced a felony on this charge. There were 0 Class A misdemeanors and 0 petty offenses.
Prison terms followed nearly every conviction. Of the 184 convicted, 182 were sentenced to prison on this charge. For those with a term of 1 month or more, the median term was 120 months, or 10 years, and 2 defendants received life.
The median is the middle term with all terms placed in order. It does not show the shortest or longest term, which these records do not report.
Results by Type of Counsel
Federal public or community defenders represented 128 defendants (56%). CJA panel attorneys represented 71 (31%). A CJA panel attorney is a private lawyer appointed by the court. Retained private counsel represented 26 (11%).
Public or community defenders had 30 trials, and 16 ended in an acquittal (53%). CJA panel attorneys had 11 trials, with 3 acquittals (27%). Retained counsel had 3 trials, with 2 acquittals. Retained counsel also had the highest guilty plea share, at 85%, compared with 72% for CJA panel attorneys and 69% for public or community defenders.
Differences by counsel type describe groups of cases, not the quality of lawyers. Defendants who hire a lawyer and those who receive an appointed lawyer face different charges and circumstances. The records note counsel type at the end of the case only.
| Type of counsel at the end of the case | Defendants | Pleaded guilty | Dismissed | Trials | Acquitted at trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federal public or community defender | 128 | 69% | 8% | 30 | 16 (53%) |
| CJA panel attorney | 71 | 72% | 13% | 11 | 3 (27%) |
| Private (retained) counsel | 26 | 85% | 4% | 3 | 2 (2 of 3) |
How Small Are the Yearly Counts?
Between 16 and 33 cases ended in each fiscal year. Yearly trials ranged from 1, in fiscal year 2019, to 9, in fiscal year 2023.
In several years, most trials ended in an acquittal, such as 4 of 5 in fiscal year 2018 and 4 of 5 in fiscal year 2020. In other years, fewer did, such as 3 of 9 in fiscal year 2023. Counts this small change with a single verdict, so the table does not show a trend.
| Fiscal year | Cases ended | Pleaded guilty | Dismissed | Trials | Acquitted at trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 23 | 78% | 9% | 3 | 1 (1 of 3) |
| 2017 | 24 | 71% | 4% | 6 | 4 (4 of 6) |
| 2018 | 16 | 56% | 13% | 5 | 4 (4 of 5) |
| 2019 | 21 | 86% | 10% | 1 | 0 (0 of 1) |
| 2020 | 23 | 61% | 17% | 5 | 4 (4 of 5) |
| 2021 | 18 | 78% | 6% | 3 | 1 (1 of 3) |
| 2022 | 28 | 71% | 14% | 4 | 2 (2 of 4) |
| 2023 | 33 | 64% | 9% | 9 | 3 (3 of 9) |
| 2024 | 21 | 71% | 5% | 5 | 1 (1 of 5) |
| 2025 | 20 | 75% | 10% | 3 | 1 (1 of 3) |
Pairing With Article 120 and Gaps in the Records
Section 2242 is part of the approved pairing for sexual abuse of an adult, with Article 120 rape, sexual assault, and abusive sexual contact. The comparison posts cover both systems. This page reports only the federal side.
The Federal Judicial Center counts every defendant whose case ended, including dismissals and acquittals. A defendant first charged under this section whose final most serious charge was different is not included. The records do not describe the facts or evidence in any case.
How We Counted
Every federal defendant whose case ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 and whose most serious charge at the end of the case (TTITLE1) was under 18 U.S.C. 2242, any subsection (227), Federal Judicial Center, counted as in the federal courts' Table D-4. Type of counsel is TCOUNSEL; labels from the FJC criminal codebook. Section heading from the U.S. Code as published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel (release point 119-136).
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
Who is in each set of numbers. The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.
How "plea" and "trial" are counted. In the federal sentencing numbers, "trial" means the person was convicted after a trial, including people who pleaded guilty to some counts and went to trial on others. People acquitted at trial are not in these numbers at all (see "Who is in each set of numbers"). In the federal case data, the trial rate counts both convictions and acquittals at trial among all defendants whose cases ended, including dismissed cases. Military numbers count contested cases that reached a verdict. These denominators are not the same, and each post states the one it uses.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
Type of counsel describes groups of cases, not lawyers. The Federal Judicial Center records the type of counsel at the end of the case. Defendants who hire a lawyer differ from defendants who receive an appointed lawyer in their charges, criminal history, and circumstances, and some defendants change lawyers during a case. Differences in outcomes by type of counsel therefore cannot be credited to the type of lawyer.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial (comparison with courts-martial)
- 18 U.S.C. 2237, Criminal sanctions for failure to heave to, obstruction of boarding, or providing false information: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- 18 U.S.C. 2241, Aggravated sexual abuse: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- 18 U.S.C. 2243, Sexual abuse of a minor, a ward, or an individual in Federal custody: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- 18 U.S.C. 2244, Abusive sexual contact: How Federal Cases Ended, FY2016–2025 (same title of the U.S. Code)
- Appointed vs. Retained Lawyers in Federal Criminal Cases: How Cases Ended, 2016–2025
- Are Courts-Martial More Likely to End in Acquittal Than Federal Trials?
- Fewer or More? Sexual Assault Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025 (court-martial data)
- Fighting an Army Sexual Assault Charge: How Contested Cases Ended (court-martial data)
- Is Air Force Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2016–2025 (court-martial data)
- Is Navy-Marine Corps Sexual Assault Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 120, 2017–2025 (court-martial data)
- Not Guilty Pleas in Navy-Marine Corps Article 120 Cases: What Happened at Trial (court-martial data)
- Article 120 (Rape and Sexual Assault): Court-Martial Data and Trends (court-martial data)
- Article 120 UCMJ Explained by a Former Special Victim Prosecutor (law firm reference page)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.