News
Cadet Charged for Running Porn Site
Published: Sep 19, 2003 - 07:50 PM
DENVER -- The Air Force Academy filed charges Wednesday against a cadet for running a pornographic Web site from his dorm room.
Cadet 1st Class Sterling Barnes faces charges including using a government-provided computer to advertise and sell pornography for commercial gain, and wrongfully viewing, displaying and storing obscene material.
Cadet 1st Class Sterling Barnes faces charges including using a government-provided computer to advertise and sell pornography for commercial gain, and wrongfully viewing, displaying and storing obscene material.
The academy bars cadets from visiting pornographic Web sites. If convicted, Barnes could receive 14 years confinement.
The charges were first reported by KMGH-TV in Denver.
The academy will hold an Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a preliminary hearing in civilian court and is used to determine if there is enough evidence to conduct a court-martial. A date for the hearing has not been set.
Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Rosa will have final say over whether the academy proceeds with a court martial.
The incidents allegedly occurred between Sept. 1, 2001, and April 29, 2003, said academy spokesman John Van Winkle. Barnes also was accused of using the Web site to arrange group sex.
Barnes has been on leave from the Air Force since the spring, after he was not allowed to graduate from the academy while it investigated the allegations.
The Air Force Academy is still dealing with the fallout from a sexual assault scandal that broke in February. Some victims in the 142 assault cases reported at the school since 1993 say they were punished for rules violations that turned up during investigations of their cases.
Copyright ? 2003, The Associated Press
The charges were first reported by KMGH-TV in Denver.
The academy will hold an Article 32 hearing, which is similar to a preliminary hearing in civilian court and is used to determine if there is enough evidence to conduct a court-martial. A date for the hearing has not been set.
Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. John Rosa will have final say over whether the academy proceeds with a court martial.
The incidents allegedly occurred between Sept. 1, 2001, and April 29, 2003, said academy spokesman John Van Winkle. Barnes also was accused of using the Web site to arrange group sex.
Barnes has been on leave from the Air Force since the spring, after he was not allowed to graduate from the academy while it investigated the allegations.
The Air Force Academy is still dealing with the fallout from a sexual assault scandal that broke in February. Some victims in the 142 assault cases reported at the school since 1993 say they were punished for rules violations that turned up during investigations of their cases.
Copyright ? 2003, The Associated Press
