Convicted DI sentenced to 2 years in prison

Convicted DI sentenced to 2 years in prison
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 21, 2007 21:23:17 EST

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A Fort Bragg drill sergeant convicted of assaulting one of his trainees and having an inappropriate relationship with her and another trainee has been sentenced to two years in prison.

A court-martial on Wednesday also gave Master Sgt. Roland Perez a bad conduct discharge and reduced his rank to private.

Perez was found not guilty of a rape charge. He also was convicted of mistreating a third female soldier.

Perez apologized to the Army during his sentencing hearing, but not the women. He had been in charge of training for Psychological Operations battalion.


Article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/ap_disentenced_071121/

Here's a little more detail on this story, from another source: http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=278460


Perez had been accused of raping the private while he was first sergeant of A Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group. The woman was then an Army Reserve soldier from Illinois who came to Fort Bragg for training in psychological operations. She is no longer in the Army.

She and Perez admitted to having a consensual sexual relationship before the rape allegations. The woman testified that, before their relationship began, Perez fondled her in his office against her will.

On Tuesday, the court-martial panel found Perez innocent of rape but guilty of indecently assaulting the private and having an inappropriate relationship with her and another soldier in training.

The panel also found Perez guilty of maltreating a subordinate soldier by making suggestive comments to her. That soldier testified Monday that, when she went to Perez for advice, he told her she needed to “get laid.” The soldier said Perez made other comments that sounded as if he were suggesting that she sleep with him.

On Wednesday, the former private and the soldier Perez was convicted of maltreating testified that their lives have been altered by his actions.....Both women said that they had trouble trusting men and that Perez’s actions had shaken their trust in the Army.

A number of soldiers spoke on Perez’s behalf, touting him as a great father, soldier and friend.
Perez took the stand for the first time since his trial began on Monday to apologize for his actions. With tears in his eyes, he apologized to the Special Warfare Training Group, to the drill sergeants he served with and to the Army as a whole.

What bothers me is that these abused recruits were reporting for PSY OPS training...

And they got it, in spades.