In a shocking breach of trust, two seasoned Army instructors have been sentenced to jail for engaging in sexual relationships with a 17-year-old recruit at the Catterick Infantry Training Centre in North Yorkshire. L/Sgt Antony Pugh, 36, and Sgt Connor Forgan, 32, were both convicted by a court martial board following a trial last year.
The court heard how the two men, who were veterans of the Afghanistan conflict, had boasted to each other about their sexual encounters with the young trainee. Both Pugh, of the Grenadier Guards, and Forgan, who served with the Welsh Guards, were found guilty of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.
Pugh was sentenced to 20 months in jail, while Forgan received a 16-month sentence. Additionally, both men were dismissed from the Army and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Prosecutor Cdr Edward Hannah told the court in Bulford, Wiltshire, that the instructors had shown a “degree of planning” in committing the offences and had abused their positions of power. “The hierarchical structure of the military places power with rank, especially in a training facility,” he said.
The judge, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England, condemned the “disgraceful and misogynistic” manner in which the instructors had referred to the victim, who was described as a “17-year-old child” who did not deserve such treatment.
“Power imbalance is exacerbated within the services, and service personnel are taught to follow the orders of those senior to them,” the judge said. “As instructors, you were well aware of where the line was, and you both willingly stepped over that line for your own sexual interests.”
The case has sent shockwaves through the military community, highlighting the need for stricter safeguards and a renewed emphasis on ethical conduct, especially in training environments where young recruits are particularly vulnerable.