Misawa master sergeant sentenced in molestation

Misawa master sergeant sentenced in molestation
By Jennifer H. Svan
Pacific edition, Thursday, January 31, 2008

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — A master sergeant was sentenced Tuesday to seven years in prison for molesting his stepson nearly four years ago in Colorado, when the child was either 4 or 5 years old.

The 21-year Air Force veteran, who’s been stationed at Misawa since June 2004, was assigned to the 301st Intelligence Squadron. He was later reassigned to the 35th Communications Squadron.

Stars and Stripes is withholding the master sergeant’s name to protect the identity of the victim.

During the one-day court-martial, the man pleaded guilty to oral sodomy with a child under the age of 12 and indecent acts on diverse occasions with a child under the age of 16.

Military judge Lt. Col. Gregory Friedland recommended a jail sentence of seven years and 10 months. It was reduced to seven years in exchange for guilty pleas, according to a pre-trial agreement.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=52057