First Sergeant Rape Case Begins on Camp Casey

From the Stars and Stripes:

The trial of a sergeant first class accused of soliciting and raping a female soldier, sexually assaulting another and coercing a third to make a false statement entered its third day Friday.

Sgt. 1st Class Carlos L. Reynolds, acting first sergeant with the 2nd Infantry Division’s 302nd Brigade Support Battalion, pleaded not guilty to all charges. One charge of insubordination was dropped earlier this week. (…)

Prosecutors say Reynolds raped a private after three other junior enlisted soldiers left Spc. Renee Hoist’s barracks room on June 22.

Defense lawyers questioned whether penetration had occurred, citing statements the private made to investigators.

Prosecutors countered that her testimony met the legal standard of rape, which requires at least a slight penetration, they said. She screamed at Reynolds to express lack of consent, they added.

Sounds pretty grim right?  Well this is why it is important to presume innocence until proven guilty:

Kincaid said the private’s statements to investigators and defense lawyers were inconsistent, with differences about her clothing and whether she told her mother of the alleged rape.

The private’s former supervisor, Sgt. Shalika Worlds , rated the alleged victim’s trustworthiness as a two on a scale of one to 10.

“She’s a habitual liar, sir. She’s untrustworthy,” Worlds told Kincaid.

“I wouldn’t believe anything she told me unless I had actual proof,” former co-worker Sgt. 1st Class Jeffrey Murphy said.

Soon after the alleged rape, the private received Article 15 nonjudicial punishment for making false official statements and disrespecting a different sergeant, Foxtrot Company commander Capt. Donald Little testified.

It will be interesting to see how this trial turns out, but this just goes to show that rape cases are not always a cut and dry thing.  However, even if this NCO is found not guilty, from reading the whole article it does sound like this guy is definitely guilty of some bad judgment.  You never go into a female’s room without having a witness with you.  If you do that you are opening yourself up to not only accusations like this, but most commonly the rumor mill which can be just as destructive to a unit.