Army Lieutenant Colonel Gets Slap on the Wrist for Voyeurism
A special court martial has handed down a reprimand to an Army lieutenant colonel who was caught putting cameras in the dressing room of a clothing store by a 16-year-old girl.
The Lt. Col., Jacob Sweatland, pleaded guilty but will serve no jail time, despite the fact that if convicted in a civilian court, he could have served up to a year in jail.
Sweatland’s case highlights a disturbing trend where the Pentagon swoops in to protect its soldiers when they commit crimes.
The Case of Lt. Col. Jacob Sweatland
In September 2022, Lt. Col. Jacob Sweatland left a key fob with a hidden camera in it at a PacSun in San Luis Obispo. A 16-year-old girl found the camera and turned it in, and the store called the cops.
The cops took a look at the camera and found it still contained images and video from other dressing rooms in the area. Sweatland later called the store asking if anyone had found his key fob. The clerk, who was working with police, told Sweatland that someone had found it and he could come and retrieve it. The cops were waiting at the scene.
Sweatland fled when he got to the store and saw the cops. The police eventually tracked Sweatland down and arrested him.
Court records, which are now sealed, said that Sweatland faced charges of resisting arrest and obstructing justice in addition to invasion of privacy.
Mustang News, reporting based on court records that were available in 2023, said that Sweatland’s fob contained images from several locations including other retail establishments and the gym at the Cal Poly Rec center. The video was shot “from covert angles” and showed “women’s backsides as they [preformed] various exercises wearing shorts and tight fitting athletic wear.”
Sweatland was removed from his position at the University but wasn’t charged for the recordings because they were taken in a public area.
The Army Takes Over
As the case against Sweatland moved forward last year, he and his lawyers did what they could to avoid civilian justice.
Before the case was handed over to military prosecutors, Sweatland attempted to get it dismissed as a “Military Diversion.” In California, veterans and servicemembers can ask for courts to dismiss charges if the defendant is “suffering from sexual trauma, traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, or mental health problems as a result of his or her military service.”
The court didn’t buy it, saying that Sweatland’s “calculated and covert method in which Defendant repeatedly targeted vulnerable young women demonstrates little potential for rehabilitation in the Military Diversion Program.”
After his attempt at using the Military Diversion Program was thwarted, the Army stepped in.
“When disposing of allegations of misconduct, the Army regularly coordinates with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecution authorities. In July 2023, the San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s Office initiated contact with the Army and requested the Army prosecute this case,” said Maj. Dan Lessard, spokesman for U.S. Army Cadet Command.
“After careful consideration of the evidence and in consultation with the victim, the Army preferred court-martial charges against Lt. Col. Sweatland on July 13, 2023.”
The military conducted an investigation of its own and handed down the reprimand during a special court martial. “On Jan. 22, 2024, at a special court-martial convened at Fort Knox, Ky., Lt. Col. Jacob J. Sweatland was convicted by a military judge, pursuant to his pleas, of one specification of indecent visual recording and one specification of conduct unbecoming an officer in violation of Articles 120c and 133, UCMJ. The military judge sentenced the accused to be reprimanded. The sentence was consistent with the terms of a plea agreement,” Lessard said.
Lessard explained that a reprimand is a punitive public censure. “A reprimand reflects negatively on a soldier’s military record and negatively affects a soldier’s career,” Lessard said.
Despite the black mark, Sweatland does still have a career. He is currently assigned to the 8th Brigade of U.S. Army Cadet Command and is serving in an administrative role away from cadets.
A Pattern of Protecting Soldiers
The Sweatland case highlights a problem with civilian-military relations and the Pentagon writ large.
This is a persistent problem in the Army. In 2017, a soldier at Fort Hood allegedly assaulted his wife and fired a gun as she fled their home. The Army kicked him out of the service but did not pursue a case against him.
The same thing happened the same year in Alaska after a soldier was accused of sexually assaulting a fellow soldier.
In both cases, there was physical evidence of the crime and no prosecution. The soldiers were simply allowed to return to civilian life.
The Pentagon often runs cover for its soldiers, which creates a separate system of justice for those who serve.
In a statement, Cadet Command said that Sweatland was convicted and punished “under adherence to the rules and procedures prescribed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”
However, many believe that the slap on the wrist that Sweatland received is a sign that the Army is more interested in protecting its own than in upholding the law and ensuring justice for victims.
