US Army accuses Travis King of desertion, solicitation of child pornography, among other charges

Travis King, the United States soldier who made headlines for spending months in North Korea detention, has been charged with desertion.

As per a Reuters report, the 23-year-old soldier has also been hit with other charges, like assault against fellow soldiers and solicitation of child pornography.

Charges against the soldier

The US Army has hit Travis King with eight distinct charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Reuters reports that the Army chargesheet accuses King of broad misconduct, including an attempt to escape US custody in October 2022.

Additionally, he has been accused of soliciting a Snapchat user to "knowingly and willingly produce child pornography" in July 2023. King has also been charged with possession of child pornography.

Furthermore, insubordination for leaving the base after hours and drinking alcohol in violation of army regulations are among the charges against King.

He has also been charged with desertion. The army said that King left the Army in South Korea with the intention of staying away permanently, "and did remain so absent in desertion until on or about 27 September 2023."

'Presumption of innocence'

In a statement expressing her unconditional love, the soldier's mother, Claudine Gates, asked that her son "be afforded the presumption of innocence."

"The man I raised, the man I dropped off at boot camp, the man who spent the holidays with me before deploying did not drink," said Gates.

"A mother knows her son, and I believe something happened to mine while he was deployed. The Army promised to investigate what happened at Camp Humphreys, and I await the results," she added.

The charges come less than a month after King's release from North Korean custody. On September 28, he returned to the US after weeks of negotiations, and with the Swedish government's help.

For weeks, the army has deferred questions regarding potential disciplinary action against King. Instead, it said that their priority was ensuring that King received proper care after spending two months in detention.

Who is King?

Twenty-three-year-old King enlisted in the US Army in January 2021, and was assigned to the Korean Rotational Force as a Cavalry Scout as part of the long-standing US security commitment to South Korea, reports Reuters.

However, his time in this post was reportedly marked by legal difficulties. King faced two separate allegations of assault while stationed in South Korea, and had pleaded guilty to one assault incident and the destruction of public property. This, as per the report, happened during a "profanity-laced tirade" against Koreans, wherein he damaged a police vehicle.

This incident led to his detention in South Korea. After serving time there, he was supposed to return to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he was expected to face military disciplinary measures for his actions. However, instead, King "wilfully and without authorisation" crossed the border at the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which separates North and South Korea.

(With inputs from agencies)

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