Child Sexual Abuse Charges at San Diego, California, 2013–2018: Pleas, Verdicts, and Sentences

Trends › By Installation › San Diego, California › Article 120b, 2013–2018

Based on 17 cases · 2013–2018 · Navy and Marine Corps records · data updated October 24, 2026

A Median Sentence of 10 Years

15 cases ended in a conviction on at least one charge, and 13 of those sentences included confinement (87%). The median confinement was 10 years, longer than the 3 years across all Navy and Marine Corps Article 120b cases in the same years. A quarter of the confinement sentences were 22 years or longer.

These are adjudged sentences, announced at trial, before any plea-agreement cap, clemency, or appeal. Each sentence covers every charge in the case, and 7 of these cases also charged Article 120 (sexual assault).

Punitive Discharges and a Dismissal

A punitive discharge followed 93% of the enlisted convictions: 10 dishonorable discharges and 3 bad-conduct discharges. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 120b cases in 2013–2018, the share was 95%.

1 officer or warrant officer was convicted, and that officer was dismissed. Dismissal is the officer equivalent of a punitive discharge.

Pleas

10 accused pleaded guilty and 7 contested at least one charge with a not-guilty or mixed plea. The contested share was 41%, compared with 38% in all Navy and Marine Corps Article 120b cases in 2013–2018.

Other Charges in the Same Cases

Article 120b was the only charge in 4 of the 17 cases, compared with 28 of 156 cases service-wide. Article 120 (sexual assault) appeared in 7 cases, Article 80 (attempt) in 4, Article 134 (general article) in 3, Article 128 (assault) in 2, and Article 120c (indecent recording and exposure) in 1.

Rank and Court Level

10 accused were NCOs (E-5 to E-9), 5 were junior enlisted members (E-1 to E-4), and 2 were officers or warrant officers. Across Navy and Marine Corps Article 120b cases, 38% were junior enlisted, so this group was more senior.

14 of the 17 cases were general courts-martial (82%), compared with 96% service-wide. A general court-martial can impose any lawful sentence. A special court-martial caps confinement at one year and cannot impose a dishonorable discharge.

Timing

The trials ran from March 2013 through November 2018: 2 in 2013, 3 in 2014, 5 in 2015, 1 in 2016, 1 in 2017, and 5 in 2018. These cases were 6% of the 285 courts-martial at San Diego in those years. All of them came before the Military Justice Act of 2016 took effect on January 1, 2019.

What the Records Do Not Include

The records give trial dates, not offense dates. They do not show the evidence or the plea terms, and they do not include conduct handled outside a court-martial. Navy and Marine Corps records before December 2020 often omit the plea, and the plea counts use only records that list it.

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.

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.