US soldier who crossed into North Korea charged with desertion

The U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea in July has been charged with desertion.

Pvt. Travis King was also charged with possessing sexual images of a child, according to a charging document. The charges against him have not been announced publicly, but The Associated Press reported that two officials confirmed King’s confinement.

Beyond desertion and possessing sexual images of a child, King, 23, is accused of kicking and punching other officers and unlawfully possessing alcohol. King was released from a South Korean prison the week before his crossing into North Korea, after serving around two months on assault charges.

King’s mother said in a statement that she loved her son and was “extremely concerned about his mental health,” according to the AP.

“As his mother, I ask that my son be afforded the presumption of innocence,” Claudine Gates said, according to the AP.

In July, King was on his way to Fort Bliss, Texas, where he may have been faced with more disciplinary actions and discharge. He made it as far as customs but then left and afterward joined a civilian tour of a Korean border village. He made his infamous run across the border in the afternoon.

Pyongyang held King for two months before expelling him from the country. In late September, King was flown to a Texas Air Force base.

When he returned to the U.S., King was brought to Brooke Army Medical Center near San Antonio for medical exams and psychological debriefings and was allowed to meet with family.

The Associated Press contributed.

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