EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Travis King, the Army private who fled to North Korea just over a year ago, pleaded guilty on Friday morning, Sept. 20, to desertion and other related charges at a courtroom at Fort Bliss.
Tony Pina/KTSM 9 News
King was charged with escape from custody, solicitation of child porn, desertion, willfully disobeying a superior officer, assault on a non-commissioned officer, false statements, assault by battery, and possession of child pornography.
King ended up pleading guilty to desertion, willfully disobeying an officer subsection one, three, four, and subsection two of assault on a non-commissioned officer.
FILE – A portrait of American soldier Travis King is displayed as his grandfather, Carl Gates, talks about his grandson on July 19, 2023, in Kenosha, Wis. The Biden administration is extending for another year a ban on the use of U.S. passports for travel to North Korea, the State Department said Tuesday. The latest extension comes as tensions with North Korea are rising over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and the uncertain status of Travis King, a U.S. service member who last month entered the country through its heavily armed border. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)
During the hearing, King shared that he was dissatisfied with work, and thought about leaving up to a year prior to July 18, 2023, when he fled across the demilitarized zone into North Kora.
King also shared that he wanted to leave the U.S. Army and never come back. He also said that he was diagnosed with mental conditions.
As we have previously reported, King ran off from a tour group and into North Korea last year. Once he was released back into the United States, he was detained by the U.S. military and charged.
This story will be updated once we gather more details on King’s testimony.
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