Private Travis King accused by US Army of leaving over dash into North Korea

Web Desk

20th Oct, 2023. 11:35 am
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Private Travis King was accused by the US Army of leaving over a dash into North Korea.
King’s family has assembled a legal team to defend him.
King evaded authorities by fleeing from Seoul’s international airport.

The U.S. Army has filed multiple charges against Private Travis King, including desertion for crossing into North Korea in July, assault against fellow soldiers, and solicitation of child pornography.

These charges, not previously reported, comprise eight distinct violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, setting the stage for a significant legal battle for the 23-year-old soldier after his release from North Korean custody in September. The Army has yet to provide a response to this matter.

King’s mother, Claudine Gates, issued a statement through a family spokesperson expressing her unwavering love and requesting that her son be presumed innocent.

She mentioned her belief that something might have happened to her son during his deployment, as the man she knew did not exhibit such behavior. She is awaiting the results of the Army’s investigation into the events at Camp Humphreys.

The U.S. Army had refrained from addressing whether King would face disciplinary action, focusing on his care after his two-month detention in North Korea for weeks.

King’s release was the result of negotiations that saw the Swedish government retrieve him from North Korea and hand him over to the U.S. ambassador in China.

Subsequently, he was transferred to a military hospital in Texas for medical evaluations, including those related to his mental health.

The details of King’s treatment in North Korean custody and the motivations behind his escape to North Korea on July 19 remain largely undisclosed.

However, the Army’s charges against him encompass broader misconduct, including an attempted escape from U.S. military custody in October 2022.

King faces allegations of soliciting a Snapchat user to produce child pornography knowingly and willingly, along with possession of child pornography.

He also stands charged with insubordination for violating curfew and consuming alcohol in contravention of Army regulations.

King’s family has assembled a legal team to defend him, which includes Franklin Rosenblatt, the lead military defense counsel during the court martial proceedings against Bowe Bergdahl.

Bowe Bergdahl was an Army sergeant held captive by the Taliban for five years after leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009.

King, who joined the Army in January 2021, had previously faced assault allegations in South Korea and pleaded guilty to assault and damaging public property.

Instead of paying a fine, he chose to spend over a month in South Korean detention. Additional disciplinary action awaited him in the United States upon his return from South Korean detention.

However, King evaded authorities by fleeing from Seoul’s international airport to take part in a civilian tour near the North-South Korean border and eventually crossed into North Korea.

This act led to his immediate detention by North Korean authorities. The Army has also charged him with desertion, asserting that King left the Army in South Korea with the intent to remain permanently absent until his release in September 2023.

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Private Travis King accused by US Army of leaving over dash into North Korea

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