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There have been nearly 90 child sex offences in the British military in the last decade, with 40% of all sexual offences committed by Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel involving children, according to court martial data from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) seen by this paper. The data reveals that some child sex crimes have received court sentencing as lenient as “being admonished”.
In the first ever comprehensive review of child sexual offences in UK military court martial data, Byline Times examined 3,554 court martial cases. It found, over a ten-year period from, 718 allegations of sexual offences were prosecuted across all branches of the armed forces. Of these, 405 led to guilty verdicts; 89 involved children.
While the Army accounted for the largest share of sexual offences between 2014-2024, the RAF’s share of child-related crimes stood out as a significant concern, with 39% of all RAF personnel guilty sex offences at court martial involving children – some 28 of the 89.
Although RAF personnel were responsible for 18% of military sexual offences overall, they accounted for 31% of MOD child-related sexual offences. The RAF comprises just under one fifth of the UK military.
The Data Examined
Between 26 June 2014 and 21 June 2024, there were 3,554 court martial cases listed by the MOD. The most common crimes under review were for battery, ABH (actual bodily harm), AWOL (absence without leave), desertion, and theft. Of all of these court martials three quarters – 2,600 – returned a guilty verdict.
Of the court martial cases, guilty and otherwise, some 718 were listed as sex crimes. These offences ranged from accessing child abuse images to disgraceful conduct of an indecent kind. Some 405 ended with guilty verdicts. This means that whereas 75% of all court martials ended with a guilty verdict, only 57% of sex offences did.
Of all the guilty-verdict sex offences, 67% were in the army, 18% in the RAF and 14% in the Royal Navy.
What stands out, though, is the numbers of sex crimes in the RAF where children were involved. Of the 72 cases in recent years where RAF personnel have been found guilty of sex-related crimes, 28 involved children. In comparison, the Royal Navy – which is a similar size to the RAF – had six child sex-abuse guilty cases.
The RAF child sex offences were mainly linked to pictures or photographs of children – some 22 of the 28 cases (78%).
However, there have been some notable cases where physical assault also took place.
- In 2020, an ex-Chief Technician from Bulford was found guilty of indecent assault on a boy under the age of 16 and was given a sentence of 19 years.
- In 2019, a Sergeant from RAF Waddington was found guilty of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence and was given a two year Service Community Order.
- In 2020, a Senior Aircraftman in RAF Waddington was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity with a child.
Last year, of the 12 cases where RAF sexual offences prosecutions led to a guilty verdict, five (42%), were related to child offences. This constitutes 2% of all court martial trials last year (both guilty and innocent).
Ex-RAF Cases Aren’t Counted
There are also a number of high-profile cases where former RAF personnel have also been found guilty of the physical sexual abuse of children.
One of the most harrowing involved Glenn Poyner, a 35-year-old former RAF worker who was sentenced to 19 years and six months in prison for committing eight child sex offences, including four counts of rape. Poyner’s crimes, which took place between 2018 and 2021, targeted two young girls in Shropshire and Worcestershire.
Poyner’s offending was not captured by the court martial data as he was prosecuted in a civilian court. Describing Poyner as “highly dangerous,” Judge Peter Barrie warned of the serious risk he posed to young girls, adding that his crimes warranted an extended period of supervision following his release.
Another case involved Andrew Thomason, a former wing commander in the RAF, who was sentenced to three years in prison for attempting to engage a girl under the age of 13 in sexual activity. Thomason, who was stationed at RAF Cranwell, was convicted after making sexually explicit comments in an online chatroom. Thomason’s case was not captured in the court martial data.
Alarming Trends in the RAF
There have been wider concerns about sexual misconduct in the RAF. During a recent non-statutory inquiry (NSI) into the RAF Aerobatic Team (RAFAT) and RAF Scampton, concerns were raised about the content of a mandatory Sexual Offences Brief presented to personnel.
The briefing, which covered issues such as child sex offenders and harm to children by service personnel, was met with criticism. Many felt the subject matter was inappropriate and irrelevant to their specific roles.
Overall, the NSI report uncovered a deeply problematic culture marked by harassment, bullying, and leadership failures, particularly affecting female personnel in the RAF.
Women were frequently subjected to sexual harassment, including unwanted physical contact, inappropriate messages, and sexual advances, which they often normalised due to fear of retaliation or being labeled “over-sensitive”.
The report also highlighted instances of predatory behaviour by male service members, often facilitated by alcohol. Despite multiple incidents, such as the exposure of genitals and persistent harassment, there was a lack of decisive leadership action to address it. The report called for stronger leadership oversight, more effective training, and better support for those affected by unacceptable behaviours.
Harriet Gray, a senior lecturer at the University of York, specialising in gender-based violence in the military, told Byline Times that the military has a “severe culture problem and that it does not know how to deal with it”.
Its response tends to treat those that it recognises as perpetrators as ‘bad apples,’ hanging on to the idea that people who perpetrate sexual violence in the military are the inexplicable exception, and that the ‘normal’ soldierly identity is innately ‘good’ (even ‘better,’ more than the average civilian)
Harriet Gray, lecturer University of York
Gray continued: “But at the same time, dominant forms of military masculinity and military culture continue to revolve, to a notable extent, around hypersexuality, sexual ‘banter’ and harassment, and the public denigration of the feminine, and this is generally seen as something that they cannot stamp out. Indeed that they don’t want to stamp out because it is important for things like unit bonding and coping with the hardships of military life.”
Lenient Sentencing?
There are also concerns about lenient sentencing in the court martial service. For instance, in 2023, an Air Specialist (Class 1) from RAF Brize Norton was found guilty of the attempted sexual communication with a child, making an indecent photograph of a child and the possession of an extreme pornographic image. His sentence on the court martial reads: “Admonished.” He was firmly reprimanded.
Another case in 2023 involved an Air Specialist Class 2 from RAF Coningsby who was found guilty of distributing indecent photographs of a child, making indecent photographs of a child, and perverting the course of justice. He received a suspended sentence of 21 months.
In 2020, a Flight Sergeant in RAF Cranwell was found to have been in possession of an indecent photograph of a child and was given a sentence of “240 hours unpaid work”.
And, in 2014, a Sergeant in the RAF was found guilty of making half a dozen indecent photographs of children and was ordered to pay £1500 to be recovered over three pay days.
The RAF has no influence over Court Martial verdicts,