Travis King, solider who crossed border into North Korea, charged with desertion

Army non-public Travis King, who crossed the border into North Korea sooner than being returned to the U.S. in September, has been charged with desertion, consistent with army charging paperwork a supply just about the case shared with ABC News Thursday night time.

In addition to desertion for crossing over into North Korea, the place he used to be detained for 2 months, King faces seven further fees, together with possessing kid pornography and more than one attacks, consistent with the paperwork. A protection legitimate showed the desertion and attack fees to ABC News, whilst every other mentioned reviews at the fees have been right kind. Reuters used to be first to wreck the news of the desertion, kid pornography and attack fees.

A spokesperson for the First Armored Division, King’s unit, used to be now not to be had for remark overdue Thursday night time, however the paperwork say King used to be knowledgeable of the costs on Wednesday.

Claudine Gates, Pvt. King’s mom, issued a commentary in fortify of her son, requesting him to be be presumed blameless.

“I love my son unconditionally and am extremely concerned about his mental health. As his mother, I ask that my son be afforded the presumption of innocence,” she mentioned in her commentary. “The man I raised, the man I dropped off at boot camp, the man who spent the holidays with me before deploying did not drink. A mother knows her son, and I believe something happened to mine while he was deployed. The Army promised to investigate what happened at Camp Humphries, and I await the results.”

King has been assigned two JAG officials as council, and he can also be represented via lawyers Sherilyn A. Bunn and Joshua Grumbaugh, and professor Franklin D. Rosenblatt, ABC has discovered.

“I am grateful for the extraordinary legal team representing my son, and I look forward to my son having his day in court,” her commentary concluded.