A private first class at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, was sentenced to 24 months of confinement for indecent recording during the 2024 group sexual assault of an ROTC student in a JBLM barracks unit. He was also reduced to E-1 and given a bad-conduct discharge. The Army announced the verdict Friday, Oct. 9.
He is the third of the four soldiers charged in the case to be sentenced. The fourth was acquitted.
What happened
- On Oct. 27, 2024, a female ROTC student was partying with four soldiers in a barracks unit at JBLM, about 45 miles south of Seattle.
- The group drank heavily. According to an Army investigation, she became inebriated and later unconscious.
- The soldiers were charged with sex acts without her consent, including while she was unconscious. Some of the acts were recorded and posted on social media.
The verdict
- He was convicted of one specification of indecent recording under Article 120c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
- He was acquitted of 12 other specifications: four of sexual assault, four of abusive sexual contact and four of being a principal to sexual assault.
- He will serve his sentence at the Northwestern Joint Regional Correctional Facility at JBLM. After release, he must register as a sex offender.
- Neither the prosecution nor the defense issued a statement after the trial.
The other three soldiers
- A private pleaded guilty Sept. 5, 2025 to one specification each of sexual assault, abusive sexual contact and being a principal to indecent recording. A military judge sentenced him to 75 months, total forfeiture of pay and allowances, reduction to E-1 and a dishonorable discharge.
- A specialist pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025 to one specification of sexual assault while the victim was unconscious. He got 60 months, reduction to E-1 and a dishonorable discharge.
- A corporal was acquitted of all charges by a military judge on May 19, 2026. He had faced two specifications of attempted sexual assault and one specification each of principal to distribution of an indecent recording, conspiracy to commit sexual assault and obstruction of justice.
- The private and the specialist are serving their sentences at the same JBLM prison. Both must register as sex offenders.
The case by the numbers
- Soldiers charged: 4
- Convicted: 3, two by guilty plea and one at trial
- Acquitted of all charges: 1
- Total confinement for the three: 159 months, or about 13 years
- Discharges: two dishonorable, one bad-conduct
Under Article 120 of the UCMJ, a sexual act on someone the accused knows or reasonably should know is asleep, unconscious or too impaired by alcohol to consent is sexual assault.
Where she is now
The ROTC student has since been commissioned, according to the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel. E-4 MAFIA does not name victims of sex crimes.
For the barracks
Record it, post it, or stand there and watch, and you’re part of it. Three of four are doing time and registering as sex offenders.
Cover photo: A military police soldier with the 508th Military Police (Detention) Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade, goes through safety precautions with a prisoner at the Northwestern Joint Regional Correctional Facility on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., June 5, 2019. The people pictured are unconnected to this case. Photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Ross, 42nd Military Police Brigade, via DVIDS (ID 5745238), https://www.dvidshub.net/image/5745238/northwestern-joint-regional-correctional-facility-jblm. The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
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Sources
- Stars and Stripes, “Soldier sentenced to 2 years in prison for indecent recording of 2024 group sexual assault of ROTC student at JBLM,” by Gary Warner, Oct. 9, 2026, https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2026-10-09/soldier-sentenced-indecent-recording-rape-jblm-23103317.html
