US soldier who fled to North Korea sentenced to one year in confinement and dishonorable discharge

CNN —

The US soldier who ran across the border from South to North Korea last year was sentenced Friday to one year in confinement and dishonorable discharge after pleading guilty to charges of desertion and assault.

Pvt. Travis King pleaded guilty at a court martial in Fort Bliss, Texas, to one count – or specification – of desertion, one count of assault on a noncommissioned officer and three counts of disobeying a superior commissioned officer, according to a statement from the US Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.

King was also reduced in rank to an E1, the lowest enlisted rank as well as forfeiture of pay and allowances. The time King spent in confinement after his apprehension will count toward his sentence, the Army said.

“With time already served and credit for good behavior, Travis is now free and will return home,” King’s attorneys said in a statement.

During the court martial, King explained his actions before a military judge and accepted responsibility for them, according to his attorneys. As part of the plea agreement, nine other charges were dismissed.

King had been facing 14 counts under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, including desertion, possession of child pornography, assaulting a noncommissioned officer and disobeying a superior officer.

CNN first reported last month that King was expected to enter a guilty plea.

King’s attorney, Franklin Rosenblatt, said his client had faced “significant challenges” in his life, including a “difficult upbringing, exposure to criminal environments, and struggles with mental health.”

“All these factors have compounded the hardships he faced in the military,” Rosenblatt said.

King’s case was taken over by the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel in