Trial to Start on Sex Charges Against General

Brigadier General Jeffrey Sinclair was at one time a rising star amongst the top battle commanders in the U.S. Army. However, now he is fighting charges of sexual assault that could put him in a military prison for life if he is convicted.

Sinclair was the 82nd Airborne’s deputy commander, but will appear in a courtroom at Fort Bragg on Tuesday to face criminal charges in a court martial that he physically forced a captain, who is female to perform oral sex. The female captain was under his direct command.

Lawyers for Sinclair, who is a married father of two children, deny the accusation, but admit he had an extramarital affair for three years while with the officer in Afghanistan and Iraq in war tours. The admission he had an extramarital affair will likely end his career in the Army.

Sinclair, who is 51, pleaded not guilty to the eight charges against him including indecent acts, forcible sodomy, unbecoming conduct and violating orders.

Sinclair is believed to be the military’s most senior member to ever face a sexual assault trial. His case comes while the Pentagon is grappling with many revelations involving sexual misconduct and rape within the service.

In hearings prior to the trial, prosecutors painted Sinclair a sexual predator who abused the position he had obtained so he could prey on his subordinate who had been trained to follow orders.

Prosecutors said Sinclair threatened to kill both the captain and her family if she mentioned their affair to anyone.

Lawyers for the defense suggest the general is the one who is the victim, both of an ex-lover who was jealous and prosecutors who are overzealous facing great pressure from the top rankings to send a message that sexual misconduct would not be tolerated.

The lead prosecutor resigned for the military only weeks prior to the beginning of the trial. His resignation followed a pre-trial hearing that was contentious. In a pre-trial hearing last January the defense contended that the captain perjured herself.

Outside the court proceedings, prosecutors declined any comment.

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Deborah Campbell

Deborah Campbell grew up on a steady diet of fantasy stories, 19th century poetry and Greek mythology. It’s no wonder she turned into such a hopeless romantic. She has always had a knack for writing, but she has yet to publish any best-seller yet. At the beginning of 2013 she decided to try something a little different: she started working for a web design firm, as a creative artist. That’s where she discovered her second calling. Although seemingly opposite, fantasy and technology are Deborah’s two main passions. She is now part of the argyllfreepress.com team, for which she creates detailed tutorials & reviews for some of the world’s most exciting gadgets. She also tries to squeeze a verse or two in her reviews from time to time.