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Title: Navy chief convicted for child sex gets honorable discharge
Source:
www.komotv.com
URL Source: http://www.komotv.com/news/15715297.html
Published: Feb 17, 2008
Author: Kitsap Sun
Post Date: 2008-02-17 13:02:08 by Ferret Mike
Keywords: None
Views: 1842
Comments: 26
BREMERTON - The Navy has granted an honorable discharge to a former Naval Base Kitsap command master chief who was convicted last year of attempted child rape. Edward E. Scott, 44, once the local base's highest enlisted man, was arrested after a sting operation in which an officer posed as the mother of young twins in an online forum. Scott was met by police at a Bremerton motel where he had arranged to have sex with what he believed was the mother and both children. Convicted and sentenced in June to nine months in jail and three years of intensive sexual deviancy treatment, Scott retired from formal service in the Navy on Jan. 31. His rank was reduced to senior chief petty officer, but he was allowed to retire with benefits. Discharge records are covered under the Navy's privacy act. Naval Base Kitsap spokesman Tom Danaher could not comment, but the Kitsap Sun has reviewed a report confirming Scott's status that has circulated through the criminal justice system. The result is surprising to Kevin McDermott, a former Navy Judge Advocate who's worked in military law since 1978. He now practices in California, and has most recently defended war crimes suspects from the Iraq war. "I don't know if I've ever heard of a serviceman being convicted of a sex crime, getting an honorable discharge," he said. Scott, who served 25 years, chatted from his home and work computers with an undercover detective posing as a mother of twin 12-year-olds in early 2006. The detective arranged a meeting with Scott for sex at a Bremerton hotel before work March 16. Detectives arrested him, and a month later he pleaded guilty to attempted child rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, both felonies. Though he faced a 90-month sentence, a Superior Court judge allowed Scott to opt for a nine-month sentence if he would undergo treatment. The Navy wouldn't comment on what proceeded internally before his retirement was completed. But McDermott said that according to protocol Scott would have had a hearing before a commanding officer, perhaps a captain or admiral, who would have likely conducted what's known as a "mast" hearing. Such a hearing would have given his commanding officer the authority to reduce him one rank — which did occur — and to take away a limited amount of pay as well as restrict him to a base or quarters for a limited span of time. However, his commanding officer could have referred Scott to a court martial, where he could have faced a dishonorable discharge, or a Navy "administrative separation board," which could result in a slightly less harsh bad conduct discharge. Ultimately, McDermott said, the Navy could have tried him again for the same crimes as were filed in the civilian Kitsap County Superior Court, as the concept of double jeopardy doesn't exist in the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In actuality, Scott was demoted one rank, honorably discharged, and retired with the benefits of the senior chief rank. He's due to finish the sexual deviancy treatment in March 2010, according to court documents filed in Kitsap County Superior Court. The Navy's decision sends the wrong message to servicemen and women everywhere, said Glenn Maiers, a retired Naval Base Kitsap senior chief petty officer. "What does that tell the (lower ranks)? The higher up in pay grade you are, the more you can get away with," he said. Part of a wider trend, McDermott contends the Navy and the armed forces have not been "coming down as hard" on service members post-September 11th. From the military's point of view, the best theory McDermott has on the rationale is simply: "We need bodies." In Scott's case, McDermott believes his honorable discharge could be a result of "karma." His long and successful career were simply too vast to overlook. Scott, who joined the Navy in 1982, served as command master chief of not only Naval Base Kitsap, but also the USS Camden and the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group. His tour of duty has included time in Guam, Hawaii, Whidbey Island and San Diego. He was the recipient of the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Good Conduct Medal. "(His command) said, 'Thank you very much for your long and hard work,'" McDermott posited. "We're going to give you one tremendous kiss when you go." (The Kitsap Sun is a media partner of KOMO-TV. Click here to visit the Kitsap Sun's web site.)
Edward E. Scott is escorted out of Kitsap County Superior Court following his arraingment last year. (Photo courtesy of the Kitsap Sun.)
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#5. To: Ferret Mike (#0)
The Navy's decision sends the wrong message to servicemen and women everywhere, said Glenn Maiers, a retired Naval Base Kitsap senior chief petty officer. "What does that tell the (lower ranks)? The higher up in pay grade you are, the more you can get away with," he said. It tells the (lower ranks) that the command master chief served honorably and without a single blem on his service record, and that he wore gold not red hash marks as a result. And, there was no evidence that he engaged in illicit activities of the type he was allegedly planning while serving in the military and climbing the career ladder. And, unlike the crime of espionage, the crimes he is charged with do not involve selling military or US secrets, so, except for his unusual and illegal midlife appetites he has been an exempliary non commissioned naval officer. Allowing him to retire with an honorable and full bennies (at a lower rank) is a reasonable disposition from the captain's mast.
What a rationalization on your part. He was formally a miltary commander at the time of his crime. Where there's smoke, there's fire, baby.
Well, so far his only crime was typing forbidden thoughts, and what evidence is there that he was anything but an exemplary non com before that? Perhaps the captain remembers his own midlife crisis and the things he was thinking or doing. And, what's a crime in the states is ordinary prostitution in The Philippines, Southeast Asia and other ports of call. There is simply no reason to treat the planning of an illicit encounter as if he had been doing it for years. And, the punishment should reflect that.
Detectives arrested him, and a month later he pleaded guilty to attempted child rape and communicating with a minor for immoral purposes, both felonies. "Perhaps the captain remembers his own midlife crisis and the things he was thinking or doing?" "What's a crime in the states is ordinary prostitution in The Philippines, Southeast Asia and other ports of call."
Well, suppose another career pedophile with a closet filled with videos of repeat offenses is busted and he couldn't be punished any more than the max penalty (that you're demanding in this case) that was given to someone who talked dirty with an undercover cop. Would you then be screaming that he be executed because the punishment for the first victimless crime can't possibly be appropriate for the second, serious predator? This is why the founders wanted the punishment to fit the crime in America. Silly reactionaries would demand executions for their pet crimes, whether its swindling company pensions or for some animal activists, hunting helpless critters. Just who was the victim here? Answer: no one.
The American Taxpayer whose dollars support this sicko.
There are no replies to Comment # 14. End Trace Mode for Comment # 14.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestIn actuality, Scott was demoted one rank, honorably discharged, and retired with the benefits of the senior chief rank. He's due to finish the sexual deviancy treatment in March 2010, according to court documents filed in Kitsap County Superior Court.
#6. To: HOUNDDAWG (#5)
(Edited)
Scott retired from formal service in the Navy on Jan. 31.
#7. To: angle (#6)
(Edited)
#8. To: HOUNDDAWG (#7)
The detective arranged a meeting with Scott for sex at a Bremerton hotel before work March 16.
#9. To: angle (#8)
Just what are you excusing here? It's paedophilia for crissakes.
#14. To: HOUNDDAWG (#9)
Just who was the victim here?
Replies to Comment # 14.