Washington, DC—Earlier this week, Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair, accused of sexual assault, pled guilty to maltreatment of a subordinate, inappropriate relationships with junior female officers, soliciting illicit pictures from junior female officers, possessing pornography, misuse of a credit card and using derogatory language.
On Thursday March 20, Sinclair was sentenced to pay a fine of $24,100, but did not receive jail time, reduction in rank or dismissal from the Army.
Congressman Mike Turner (OH-10), Co-Chair of the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, released the following statement:
“I am deeply disappointed by today’s verdict in the case of Army Brig. Gen. Sinclair. Even with a guilty plea, he received no reduction in rank, discharge or jail time for his substantial transgressions.
This unfortunate outcome bolsters our call to increase mandatory minimum sentencing in cases of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.
Imposing a mandatory minimum sentence would send a strong message to service members that this is a serious crime and guarantee that those who are convicted receive serious and appropriate sentences.
We must make this meaningful change to the system in order to protect victims, hold perpetrators accountable and prevent future abuse."