STORY TIME: To Catch a Predator

So a while back there was an E7 in my shop. Nice guy, 18 years in, family, kids. No creepy vibe about him.

So we are stationed OCONUS and go TDY to the US one time as a squadron. Plane was a chartered commercial jet, and as soon as we land in the US the squadron DO tells everyone over the PA on the plane to keep their seats, and for MSgt Predator to come assist him up front. They disappear with some other civilians that boarded after we landed, and that was that.

Come to find out he was chatting up a 14yo girl online who was actually an FBI agent. They'd made plans to meet at a mall at our TDY location, and that was enough for the Feds.

They seized his PC at home and found a couple kiddie porn images in his email. His defense was that they were emailed to him and he didn't send them or save them, but for everything he got sentenced to 4 years at Leavenworth. I felt bad for his wife and kids, as they were close to retirement and now had literally nothing.

Here's the fun part. During sentencing they sentenced MSgt Predator to 4 years confinement, and reduction in grade to E-1. Along the way they forget to add the dishonorable discharge. Partway through his sentence the USAF tried to amend the sentence but lost at the court of criminal appeals. So after 4 years confinement, AB Predator returns to active duty and serves out another year until 20. I was long gone by this time so I don't know if they had him raking gravel or what. But he got that sweet E1 retirement, which is probably good for just beer money. He has healthcare and VA benefits at least.

tl;dr: E7 gets busted in FBI sting. Does time, JAG messes up sentencing, retires as E1.