U.S. Soldier Who Entered North Korea Is Charged With Desertion

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Army is also accusing Pvt. Travis T. King of other crimes including assaulting other soldiers and child pornography, according to a charging document.

Pvt. Travis T. King left North Korea last month after officials there said they had found him guilty of “illegally intruding” into their territory. | Ahn Young-Joon/Associated Press
Pvt. Travis T. King, the American soldier who returned to the United States last month after crossing into North Korea in July, has been charged in military court with multiple offenses, including desertion, assaulting other soldiers and child pornography.

Private King, 23, is being held at a civilian jail just outside Fort Bliss, near El Paso, according to a family spokesman. He was moved there from Fort Sam Houston, near San Antonio, where he had been undergoing reintegration procedures.

The charges were filed on Sunday by officials at Fort Bliss. Private King was made aware of them on Wednesday, the family spokesman said.

Private King’s mother, Claudine Gates of Racine, Wis., said in a statement that her son should be presumed innocent and that she was “extremely concerned about his mental health.” » | Dan Simmons and John Ismay | Friday, October 20, 2023