Soldier in Gay Porn Case Sentenced

May 17, 2006

Soldier in gay porn case sentenced
Associated Press

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A soldier pleaded guilty Tuesday to having sex on a military-themed Web site for money and was sentenced to three months in prison.

Pfc. Wesley K. Mitten, 21, pleaded guilty to sodomy, conduct detrimental to the Army and cocaine use. He will be discharged from the service.

“I am sorry for disgracing my family name and my unit,” he said, according to The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer.

Mitten is one of seven soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division accused of appearing on the Web site. Two others, Pvt. Kagen B. Mullen and Pfc. Richard Ashley, have also pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison.

In court, Mitten said the Web site’s producer contacted him through the Internet in 2005 and offered him $2,000 to perform in a gay pornography video.

Mitten also made another film, posed for pictures and appeared before a camera for Internet broadcasts, he said. He earned $6,000 in three months.

Army prosecutors said Mitten helped recruit other men in his division.

Four other soldiers were punished outside of the military court system. All four were reduced in rank to private, forfeited half a month’s pay for two months, performed extra work and were restricted to Fort Bragg for 45 days. The Army has discharged one paratrooper and has recommended discharges for the other three, division officials said.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press.