Article 120b at Fort Hood Before and After 2024
The median confinement in the 12 Article 120b (child sexual abuse) cases at Fort Hood in 2024–2026 was 25 years, compared with 5.3 years across all Army Article 120b cases and 2.3 years at Fort Hood in 2021–2023.
Understanding Trends in Military Practice · 5 min read
Trends › By Installation › Fort Hood › Article 120b
Short answer: The median confinement in the 12 Article 120b (child sexual abuse) cases at Fort Hood in 2024–2026 was 25 years, compared with 5.3 years across all Army Article 120b cases and 2.3 years at Fort Hood in 2021–2023. All 11 convictions included confinement, and 90% of convicted enlisted members received a dishonorable discharge.
How Long Were the Sentences?
Of 11 convictions, 11 carried confinement. The median was 25 years, and among those sentences a quarter were 30 years or longer. The median in all Army Article 120b cases in 2024–2026 was 5.3 years.
These are adjudged sentences, as announced at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case. With 11 sentences, a few long terms can move the median.
Dishonorable Discharges
A punitive discharge followed 90% of enlisted convictions, and all 9 were dishonorable discharges, with 0 bad-conduct discharges. The share in all Army Article 120b cases was 99%. 1 convicted officer or warrant officer appears here and was dismissed.
A sentence without a punitive discharge does not rule out a later administrative separation.
The Same Number of Cases as 2021–2023
Fort Hood had 12 Article 120b cases in 2021–2023 and 12 in 2024–2026, about 4 a year in both periods (full years only). The median confinement went from 2.3 years to 25 years. General courts-martial went from 92% to 100% of cases.
The contested share went from 50% to 33%. Full acquittals in contested cases that reached a verdict went from 3 of 6 to 1 of 4. Groups this small move with a few cases, so these changes show direction only.
| 2021–2023 | 2024–2026 | |
|---|---|---|
| Cases | 12 | 12 |
| Contested (of pleas recorded) | 50% | 33% |
| Full acquittals (decided contested) | 3 of 6 | 1 of 4 |
| Convictions with confinement | 8 of 9 | 100% |
| Median confinement | 2.3 years | 25 years |
| Punitive discharge (enlisted) | 8 of 8 | 90% |
| General courts-martial | 92% | 100% |
Pleas and Forum
8 accused pleaded guilty and 4 contested at least one charge. The contested share of 33% was close to the 34% across the Army.
A military judge alone decided guilt in 9 cases. Enlisted panels decided 2 and an officer panel decided 1. Members heard 25% of the cases, the same share as across the Army.
Other Articles in These Cases
8 of the 12 cases charged at least one other article. Article 134 (general article) appeared in 6, Article 80 (attempt) in 4, Article 131b (obstruction) in 2, and Article 82 (solicitation) and Article 120 (sexual assault) in 1 each.
Rank, Dates, and Limits
The accused were 7 junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), 4 NCOs (E-5 to E-9), and 1 officer or warrant officer, a mix similar to all Army Article 120b cases, where 57% were junior enlisted. The trials ran from May 2024 through September 2026: 2 in 2024, 5 in 2025, and 5 in 2026, a partial year. They were 9% of the 138 courts-martial at Fort Hood.
Article 120b is a covered offense. Since December 28, 2023, special trial counsel decide whether to prosecute it. The records give trial dates, not offense dates, and do not show the evidence or the plea terms.
For what the offense covers and how it is defended, see Article 120b on the law firm's website. Dates and sources for the law changes: UCMJ change timeline.
How We Counted
Courts-martial tried at Fort Hood that charged Article 120b (found guilty, not guilty, or both): 2021–2023 (12) and 2024–2026 (12). Comparisons use every Army case charging Article 120b in 2024–2026.
Source: public court-martial records (Article 140a, UCMJ) in Military Trial Results, data updated October 24, 2026. Definitions, sources, and known gaps: how this data was built. Errors: content@bodiesburied.com.
Related Analysis
- Fort Hood: Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- Article 120b (Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child): Court-Martial Data and Trends (hub)
- By Installation (hub)
- Fort Hood Courts-Martial, 2020–2023: What 147 Cases Show (the whole docket)
- Inside 138 Courts-Martial at Fort Hood, 2024–2026 (the whole docket)
- Fewer or More? Child Sexual Abuse Charges at Army Courts-Martial, 2021–2025
- Article 120b at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina Before and After 2019
- Child Sexual Abuse Cases at Okinawa, Japan: 2017–2018 vs. 2019–2022
- Did Child Sexual Abuse Cases at San Diego, California Change After 2024?
- Article 128 at Fort Campbell Before and After 2024
- S1 E50: November 5, 2009: Mass Shooting at Fort Hood (podcast, members)
- Article 120b explained on the law firm's website
Military Judges Who Presided Over Article 120b Cases at Fort Hood, 2024–2026
- Jeremy D. Broussard
- Michael C. Friess
- Maureen A. Kohn
- Joseph T. Marcee
- Javier E. Rivera Rosario
- Christopher S. Sexton
- Joseph K. Venghaus
Names and links only. Each judge's record of pleas, findings, and sentences is on their Know Your Judge page, part of the Court-Martial Characters membership.
Compare: federal court. Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Cases vs. Article 120b Courts-Martial
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.