Two Army instructors have been sentenced to jail for engaging in sexual activities with a 17-year-old recruit. Lance Sergeant Antony Pugh, aged 36, and Sergeant Connor Forgan, aged 32, were dismissed from the military after sharing explicit messages about their relationships with the young trainee.
During a court martial in Bulford, Wiltshire, it was revealed that both men had separate sexual relationships with the recruit at the infantry training center in Catterick, North Yorkshire. Despite denying the charges initially, Pugh and Forgan were found guilty by a court martial board following a trial last year.
The court heard that Pugh, a member of the Grenadier Guards, and Forgan, who served with the Welsh Guards, were experienced veterans of the conflict in Afghanistan. According to Commander Edward Hannah, the prosecuting officer, the defendants displayed premeditation in committing the offenses and abused their positions of trust due to their military ranks.
Following the sexual encounter with Pugh, the recruit had to undergo STD and pregnancy tests and suffered an internal injury. The court was informed that the exchanged messages between the defendants were degrading and disrespectful.
During the sentencing, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England highlighted how the instructors violated rules prohibiting fraternization between instructors and recruits at ITC Catterick. She criticized the disrespectful and inappropriate manner in which the defendants referred to the young recruit, emphasizing the importance of protecting children from exploitation by authority figures.
Pugh received a 20-month prison sentence, while Forgan was sentenced to 16 months. Both were demoted and dismissed from the Army and placed on the sex offenders register for a period of 10 years.
