The legal procedures for four army soldiers accused in relation to the sexual assault of a university student in an army barracks began this month, said a spokesman for the military branch.
The four were accused in April in relation to an incident of October 27 in barracks in the joint Lewis-Mcchord base, southwest of Tacoma, Washington.
The victim, who was not identified, was described by Michelle McCashill, spokesman for the Executive Council Office of the Army, as a university student who has since been commissioned as an officer.
McCashill told NBC King of Seattle affiliate, the four men face the following positions, with many of the positions that appear with multiple positions or specifications in the army language:
- CPL. Pedro Angel Ruiz, 29, faces a martial court. He is accused of attempted sexual assault, main of indecent registration, main to the distribution of indecent records, conspiracy to commit sexual assault and obstruction of justice. Online judicial records did not list a statement, and their judgment is scheduled for November.
- PVT. 2nd Class Deron J. Gordon, 20, faces a martial court. He is accused of sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, director of abusive sexual contact, director of sexual aggression, director of attempt of sexual aggression, director of indecent registration, main to the distribution of indecent records, conspiracy to commit sexual assault and obstruction of justice. He declared himself guilty, and an audience was scheduled for September 3.
- SPC. Jadon Bosarge, 24, is accused of sexual aggression, director of sexual aggression, director of attempt of sexual aggression, indecent registration, main to indecent registration, main to the distribution of indecent records, conspiracy to commit sexual assault and obstruction of justice.
- PFC Kallon Curiel, 24, is accused of sexual assault, abusive sexual contact, director of abusive sexual contact, abusive sexual contact, director of sexual aggression, director of attempt at sexual aggression, indecent record, main to indecent registration, main to the distribution of indecent registration, conspiracy to commit sexual assault and obstruction of justice.
In addition, said McCashill, Curiel is accused of sexual assault of a child and sexual aggression without consent in relation to the alleged sexual assault of a child in Arizona.
The army generally appoints the defense lawyer in cases like these. The representatives of their defense lawyer assistance program did not immediately respond to a request for comments on behalf of the defendants. The lawyer who appeared for Ruiz in his judicial file could not be contacted to comment on Tuesday night.
Sexual aggression and conspiracy to commit sexual assault are calibrated to 30 -year sentences for each specification, McCashill said. Each defendant faces the potential of decades in prison if it is successfully prosecuted.
It is not clear exactly what the Office of the Army of Special Judgment Lawyers, the fiscal agency, alleges that October occurred on the barracks, but McCashill said: “The sexual assaults occurred at the same time and place with all the accused soldiers present.”
The cases, including the judgments for each soldier, are scheduled to continue advancing next month and at least until November in the court of the joint Lewis-Mcchord base.
