US Army General Jeffrey A. Sinclair Charged With Multiple Sex Crimes
A US Army Brigadier General has been charged with multiple sex crimes, including forcible sodomy, inappropriate relationships, and adultery. He was also charged with possessing alcohol and pornography while he served as a senior commander in Afghanistan earlier this year.
Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair, who was a deputy commanding general with the 82nd Airborne Division, faces a possible court martial after the charges were handed down on Wednesday, reports ABC News.
Sinclair was sent home to the US in May in the middle of his Afghanistan combat tour, where he served in southern Afghanistan as the deputy commander of logistics and support. He was sent to the division’s home base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, while potential misconduct allegations were investigated.
When he returned to the states, spokesmen for the base confirmed the General was under criminal investigation.
The Fort Bragg Public Affairs Office sent out a news release on Wednesday that listed the charges against Sinclair as, “forcible sodomy, wrongful sexual conduct, attempted violation of an order, violations of regulations by wrongfully engaging in inappropriate relationships and misusing a government travel charge card, violating general orders by possessing alcohol and pornography while deployed, maltreatment of subordinates, filing fraudulent claims, engaging in conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman and engaging in conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline, or of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.”
The Huffington Post notes that Sinclair was informed of the charges against him on Monday, but he has not been placed under arrest yet. The next step in the investigation is a preliminary hearing, which will determine if the matter goes to trial.
It’s rare for an Army general to face a court martial, with only two cases in recent years. Army Brigadier General Roger Duff pleaded guilty to charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and was sentenced to two months confinement and dismissal from the military earlier this year. Before that, Major General David Hale pleaded guilty to eight charges in connection with adultery. He was fined $10,000 and ordered to retire at the reduced rank of brigadier general.
No date has been set for Jeffrey Sinclair’s preliminary hearing.
