Pentagon: Each year, hundreds of military kids sexually abused

Maj. Gen. Paul Funk II, Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division, took a tour of the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Center located at Fort Riley centralizes the services available to victims of sexual assault and harassment. — Maj. Gen. Paul Funk II, former Commanding General of the 1st Infantry Division, on a tour of the Sexual Assault Response and Prevention Center located at Fort Riley.

RICHARD LARDNER, EILEEN SULLIVAN & MEGHAN HOYER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Department data show hundreds of incidents each year of the children of military service members being victims of sexual assault.

The abuse of military dependents is committed most often by male enlisted troops, according to the data provided exclusively to The Associated Press.

The figures offer greater insight into the sexual abuse of children committed by service members, a problem of uncertain scale due to a lack of transparency in the military’s legal proceedings. With more than 1 million military dependents, the number of cases appears statistically small. But for a profession that prides itself on honor and discipline, any episodes of abuse cast a pall.