US soldier who fled to North Korea arrested for desertion and possession of child sexual abuse images

Travis Kingthe army soldier who fled to North Korea Before returning to the United States earlier this month, he was detained by the U.S. military, two officials said Thursday night, and faces charges including desertion and possession of sexual images of a child.

The eight charges against Travis King are detailed in a charging document seen by The Associated Press. The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because The charges have not been publicly announced.

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The mother of KingClaudine Gates said in a statement that Your child should receive “the presumption of innocence”. She maintained: “A mother meets her son and I think something happened to mine while he was deployed.”

O desertion It is a very serious accusation and can lead to a prison sentence of up to three years.

King23 years old, crossed the heavily fortified border of South Korea in July and He became the first American detained in North Korea in nearly five years.

His sudden escape to North Korea came after being released from a South Korean prison. on July 10, where he served nearly two months on an assault charge. He was scheduled to be sent to Fort Bliss Texaswhere he could have faced possible additional disciplinary action and dismissal.

Authorities said that King He was taken to the airport and escorted to customs. But instead of getting on the plane, he left and later joined a civilian tour of the Korean border village of Panmunjom. In the afternoon, he ran across the border, which is lined with guards and often packed with tourists.

After about two months, Pyongyang abruptly announced it would expel him. He was taken to an Air Force base in Texas.

At the time, authorities said that They didn’t know exactly why North Korea decided to release King.but they suspected that Pyongyang determined that, as a low-ranking military officer, It had no real value in terms of influence or information.

During his absence, the Army chiefs declared him absent without leave, choosing not to consider him a deserter, which is much more serious. When declaring to King deserter, the military would have to conclude that he left and intended to stay away permanently. In times of war, desertion can carry the death penalty.

Military personnel may be absent for several days but may return voluntarily. Punishment can include confinement in prison, loss of pay, or dishonorable discharge and is largely based on how long they were absent and whether they were detained or returned on their own.

Source: Elcomercio

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I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.