Army private Travis King, who recently returned to the United States after being detained in North Korea for over 70 days, is now facing a series of charges, including desertion and possessing child pornography. The charges were filed by the U.S. Army under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and also include making false statements and disobeying superior officers.
According to reports from Reuters, King had a history of misconduct prior to his escape to North Korea. This included a previous attempted escape from U.S. military custody in October 2022. He has also been accused of soliciting a Snapchat user to produce child pornography and was charged with possession of child pornography. Additionally, King was charged with insubordination for leaving his base after curfew and violating Army regulations by consuming alcohol.
King’s mother, Claudine Gates, has requested that her son be presumed innocent and emphasized that the person she raised did not drink. She believes that something happened to him while he was deployed and is awaiting the results of the Army’s investigation into his time at Camp Humphreys.
The incident that led to King’s escape occurred on July 18, when he allegedly ran away from a tour group into the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. This came after he spent two months in a South Korean detention facility following a physical altercation with locals. During his time at the facility, he expressed his unwillingness to return to America.
North Korea’s state media reported that King confessed to crossing into the North due to “inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army.” However, details about his treatment in North Korean custody and the reasons behind his decision to flee remain unclear.
After being returned to U.S. custody in September, King was flown to a military hospital in Texas for medical and mental health evaluations. The exact circumstances of his time in North Korea are still under investigation.
It is important to note that the information in this article is based on reports from Reuters, and additional contributions were made by Timothy Nerozzi and Liz Friden. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, a writer on the breaking news team for Digital, also contributed to the article.
In conclusion, Army private Travis King’s return to U.S. soil following his detention in North Korea has been met with a series of charges, including serious offenses such as possessing child pornography. The details surrounding his escape and the circumstances leading up to it are still being investigated.
