Houston Chronicle: Lake Jackson recruiter sentenced to 27 years in military sex assault scandal
The Houston Chronicle reports:
SAN ANTONIO – A Houston area Air Force recruiter was sentenced Friday to 27 years in prison after he was convicted of sexual misconduct with potential recruits in his office, making it the harshest sentence yet since a sexual-assault scandal erupted at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland last year.
The jury of eight male officers at Lackland also gave Tech. Sgt Jaime
Rodriguez a dishonorable discharge, administering stern punishment in the
case amid complaints that the military has long protected sex offenders
while often kicking victims out of the armed services after they report the
crimes.“It’s encouraging that finally the punishment fits the crime. It’s something
we rarely see in military justice,” said Nancy Parrish, founder of the
advocacy group Protect Our Defenders. “And we hope it’s an indicator that
military juries and judges are getting the message, but fundamental reforms
are still required to fix the broken justice system.”
