Army instructors jailed over sex with teen recruit

Two Army instructors who had sex with a 17-year-old recruit have been jailed and dismissed from the military.

A court martial heard L/Sgt Antony Pugh, 36, and Sgt Connor Forgan, 32, were based at Catterick's infantry training centre and boasted to each other about their sexual relations with the trainee.

Both had denied a charge of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust but were convicted by a court martial board following a trial last year.

Pugh was jailed for 20 months, while Forgan received a 16-month sentence and both were dismissed from the Army. They were also placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

The hearing in Bulford, Wiltshire, heard the two men each formed separate sexual relationships with the recruit at the training centre in North Yorkshire.

The court heard Pugh, of the Grenadier Guards, and Forgan, who served with the Welsh Guards, were both veterans of the Afghanistan conflict.

Cdr Edward Hannah, prosecuting, said both had shown degrees of planning in committing the offences and were in positions of trust.

"The hierarchical structure of the military places power with rank, especially in a training facility," he said.

Pugh and Forgan later shared "degrading and demeaning" messages about the teenager, the hearing was told.

Rachel Beckett, defending Pugh, asked the court to pass a suspended prison sentence upon the father-of-two.

"He is in a relationship with his partner of eight years and she supports him in court today," Beckett said.

Beverley Cripps, defending Forgan, said he had accepted the messages he exchanged with Pugh were "disgraceful and crass".

Passing sentence, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England said training centre rules included "no fraternisation between recruits and instructors".

"Any communications were expected to be professional but you both engaged in unprofessional communication which quickly turned sexual," the judge said.

She said they had referred to the victim in a "disgraceful, indecent and misogynistic manner".

"She was a 17-year-old child and she was not deserving of that," the judge added.

"Power imbalance is exacerbated within the services, and service personnel are taught to follow the orders of those senior to them.

"As instructors you were well aware of where the line was, and you both willingly stepped over that line for your own sexual interests."

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