A welcome sign at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. (Abner Guzman/U.S. Air Force)
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — A female military student is the victim of an October 2024 sexual assault in which four male soldiers are accused of attacking her in a barracks at the base, the Army said Tuesday.
“She has since commissioned as an officer in the Army,” said Michelle McCaskill, communications director for the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel, which prosecutes all major sex crimes involving service personnel, as well as charges of murder, manslaughter and kidnapping.
Cpl. Pedro Angel Ruiz, Pvt. Deron J. Gordon, Spc. Jadon Bosarge and Pfc. Kallon Curiel were charged April 9 for the sexual assault and other violations of the military’s Uniform Code of Military Justice.
All the charges stem from the attack on Oct. 27 at a barracks at Lewis-McChord, which is shared by the Army and Air Force.
“The sexual assaults occurred at the same time and place with all charged soldiers present,” McCaskill said.
Sexual assault is just below rape under Article 120 of the UCMJ. It is defined as “intentional sexual contact characterized by the use of force, threats, intimidation, abuse of authority, or when the victim does not or cannot consent.”
Three of the accused — Ruiz, Gordon and Bosarge — are not being held in confinement before their trial. Curiel, who faces a second court-martial for sex crimes against a child in Arizona, is under confinement.
Ruiz, 29, is a small arms and artillery repairer with the 125th Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade. He is charged with two counts of attempted sexual assault, one count of indecent recording, one count of distribution of indecent recording, one count of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and one count of obstruction of justice. Ruiz faces a maximum penalty of 87 years in prison, reduction in rank to private, forfeiture of all benefits and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge from the Army. He is scheduled to face a court-martial on Nov. 3.
Gordon, 20, is a multiple launch rocket system crew member for B Battery, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery, 17th Field Artillery Brigade. His charges include two counts of sexual assault, two counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of indecent recording, one count of distribution of indecent recording, one count of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and one count of obstruction of justice. He faces a maximum penalty of 355 years in prison, reduction in rank to private, forfeiture of all benefits and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge from the Army.
Gordon has entered a plea of guilty to at least some of the charges and asked for a trial by judge only. His request has not yet been considered by the court and no judge has been assigned to the case. His court-martial is scheduled for Sept. 3.
Bosarge, 24, is a radio and communication security repairer for the 125th Forward Support Company, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade. His charges include two counts of sexual assault, two counts of attempted sexual assault, one count of indecent recording, one count of distribution of indecent recording, one count of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and one count of obstruction of justice. Bosarge faces a maximum penalty of 332 years in prison, reduction in rank to private, forfeiture of all benefits and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge from the Army. McCaskill said Bosarge’s court-martial is expected to take place in September.
Federal records also show Bosarge pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for Western Washington on March 19, 2023, to a charge of first-degree negligent driving. He was fined $500.
Curiel, 19, is a multiple launch rocket system crew member with the B Battery, 1st Battalion, 94th Field Artillery, 17th Field Artillery Brigade. His charges include four counts of sexual assault, two counts of abusive sexual contact, four counts of sexual assault, two counts of attempted sexual assault, one count of indecent recording, one count of distribution of indecent recording, one count of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and one count of obstruction of justice. Curiel faces a maximum penalty of 339 years in prison, reduction in rank to private, forfeiture of all benefits and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge from the Army.
Curiel was also charged Aug. 4 for the sexual assault of a child in Arizona. He is charged with one count of sexual assault of a child and one count of sexual assault without consent. If found guilty of those charges, Curiel faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison, reduction in rank to private, forfeiture of all benefits and allowances, and a dishonorable discharge from the Army.
His preliminary hearing on the Lewis-McChord charges was held Aug. 22, according to McCaskill. No record was immediately available. He was being held Tuesday in pretrial confinement.
