US Soldier Captured Crossing N Korea Border

[Solauren]

I suspect he'll be imprisoned for his defection for a while, and then booted out.

[LadyTevar]

I suspect he'll be imprisoned for his defection for a while, and then booted out.

Yeah, he's going to be punished first for his actions in South Korea that got him in a South Korean jail, then punished for "escaping and evading capture" as he was being transported to the US, THEN Punished for "Defection to the Enemy".

He'll be in Fort Leavenworth for several years, with or without the Dishonorable Discharge.

[Ralin]

I have heard that most people who desert/go AWOL/etc from the US military don't end up facing charges or punishment beyond a dishonorable discharge on their record because the army fundamentally doesn't want to have to deal with disciplining soldiers aren't willing to stay. Obviously this is not a normal situation and that complicates things, but I suspect the US Army will take a stance similar to the North Korean government in deciding that they don't want to be responsible for feeding, housing and just generally having to fucking deal with him any longer than they have to. Since when all is said and done no one really got hurt, other than some South Korean civilians.

[Solauren]

Problem with that - He's now 'high profile'. Therefore something has to be done to offset that, or the US military looks 'soft'.

[Broomstick]

It should be noted that the South Korean government already exacted punishment for the harm to South Korean civilians.

I think a certain number of people who go AWOL or are just screw-ups/unsuited to the military get General Discharge, which is not quite as bad as Dishonorable Discharge which, for many purposes, is considered to be the same as a felony conviction. Yes, it can be a significant difference going forward.

I think King might have been headed for a General Discharge (I could be wrong on that) before he high-tailed it into North Korea. Now? Yeah, I could see a Dishonorable due to the inconvenience caused to the US government.

[LadyTevar]

And it's official, he's being charged in the US.

Travis King being Charged with several Counts in the US

The 8 Charges include Desertion, Assault against fellow soldiers, "broad misconduct", and solicitation and possesion of child pornography.

[bilateralrope]

Was there any mention of child porn before now ?

[LadyTevar]

Was there any mention of child porn before now ?

Nope.
This is the first time we're hearing a charge of Child Porn.

[Lord Revan]

It could be something they didn't want to publish while he wasn't in custody either because they thought getting him alive from North Korea would become non-existent, it would be seen as a "he's really a bad guy so give him back to us" ploy, or the investigation for that was ongoing when he defected so they didn't want to charge him yet.

There's plenty of reasons why there could be new charges without those charges being made up.

[Solauren]

It's also possible that they didn't want North Korea to know about the child porn to avoid them going 'he's a threat our children', and putting a bullet in him.

[Lord Revan]

It's also possible that they didn't want North Korea to know about the child porn to avoid them going 'he's a threat our children', and putting a bullet in him.

That what I meant by the chances of him getting alive becoming non-existent.

[Zaune]

It could be something they didn't want to publish while he wasn't in custody either because they thought getting him alive from North Korea would become non-existent, it would be seen as a "he's really a bad guy so give him back to us" ploy, or the investigation for that was ongoing when he defected so they didn't want to charge him yet.

There's plenty of reasons why there could be new charges without those charges being made up.

It's also possible that they didn't want North Korea to know about the child porn to avoid them going 'he's a threat our children', and putting a bullet in him.

A third, much simpler explanation is that the authorities didn't find out about that part until relatively recently when they started going deeper into King's background to figure out what could possibly have motivated him to defect to North Korea over merely getting into a bar brawl.

[bilateralrope]

A third, much simpler explanation is that the authorities didn't find out about that part until relatively recently when they started going deeper into King's background to figure out what could possibly have motivated him to defect to North Korea over merely getting into a bar brawl.

Maybe the investigation had seized one of the devices that he had used for child porn, but hadn't analysed them at that point. So he fled before they had got far enough through the red tape and forensic analysis to arrest him.

[Ralin]

Maybe they just figured there was no point in saying anything that might further complicate an international incident. Especially if there weren't any actual charges filed to mention. If it wasn't publicly available information why bring it up?

[Eternal_Freedom]

It might also explain why this dude decided to try crossing the border - he knows he's being investigated for other stuff, his pc (or whatever) he used for child porn is seized, and he thinks "fuck it" and legs it. Perhaps remembering so many old US tv shows/films where someone "runs for the border." Except it's the border to North Korea because this guy is a total fucking idiot.

[Solauren]

If he was looking a child porn, he's already a fucking idiot with health problems, so going to North Korea is right in line with that.