Vance airman convicted of child pornography Published Sept. 6, 2013 By Joe B. Wiles 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- A 20-year-old air-traffic-control trainee was convicted of possession and distribution of child pornography during a general court-martial conducted at Vance Air Force Base, Aug. 29. Airman 1st Class Kelton Bradshaw was sentenced to 25 months confinement, a dishonorable discharge and reduction in rank to E-1. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Bradshaw pled guilty to all six specifications of the charge against him and had entered a pre-trial agreement with the convening authority. An investigation conducted by the Air Force Office of Special Investigation, Detachment 438 at Vance AFB, led to the charge filed against Jones. Agents with the detachment pursued an initial allegation received from a state law enforcement task force regarding active duty airmen downloading child pornography in the base dormitories. Their investigation discovered the identities of two possible offenders. The first was cleared of all charges by the AFOSI agents. Information gathered on the second offender, Bradshaw, led to the charge of possession and distribution of child pornography. When the court-martial was convened in the federal courtroom on base, Bradshaw elected to be tried by a military judge alone. He could have asked for a court panel of officers and enlisted members. The judge was Lt. Col. Bradley Cleveland, from Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. Throughout the court-martial, Cleveland reminded Bradshaw of his rights and repeatedly asked if he understood the proceedings. Cleveland accepted the plea of guilty after questioning Bradshaw extensively on the details of the charge against him. The sentencing portion of the court-martial began after lunch. Also on the prosecution team was Maj. Brian Mason, a judge advocate from Andrews Air Force Base, Md., and Capt. Megan Schmid with the 71st Flying Training Wing legal office. Schmid called two witnesses for the prosecution, a senior NCO and an NCO from the 71st Operations Support Squadron, Bradshaw's unit of assignment. The senior NCO testified that Bradshaw was assigned to the air-traffic control tower, beginning in October 2012. He was removed from the training program when the Vance Air Force Base Office of Special Investigations detachment began an investigation in January 2013 that led to Bradshaw's court-martial. The NCO, a member of Bradshaw's reporting chain, testified that the airman was a slightly below average airman who had little rehabilitation potential. The defense attorney, Capt. Eric Hart, with the Area Defense Counsel from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., called Bradshaw's mother, who was in the court room, to testify. She spoke of the challenges Bradshaw dealt with as a child, and his membership in the Scouting program and Junior ROTC in high school, and that he volunteered to help those recovering from the destruction created by Hurricane Katrina. Bradshaw was then given the opportunity to provide an unsworn statement he read aloud to the judge. He apologized to "all I have hurt." Bradshaw said he had become a loner during his four months at technical school before coming to Vance AFB. His loneliness continued after arriving. He began dealing with depression and sought help when he had suicidal thoughts. He said he hopes to make up for his mistakes and it starts with "I am sorry." Schmid, the government prosecutor, presented evidence of why Bradshaw deserved confinement, reduction in rank and a punitive discharge from the Air Force. She gave graphic verbal descriptions of a few of the 70 videos and photographs of children, some as young as 3 years of age. Bradshaw had downloaded and shared the images and videos with at least two other individuals not in the Air Force. Schmid displayed logs of dates and times Bradshaw sent and received files of child pornography, to include transcripts of text conversations between Bradshaw and others. The words he used to search for the images and videos was presented, evidence that he was active, with a casual disregard, in the exploitation of children, said Schmid. The depraved conduct demonstrated by downloading the files, and the discredit he brought on the Air Force by sharing them with civilians, were grounds for a dishonorable discharge, said Schmid. An extended period of confinement was needed to deter Bradshaw from future offenses and give him time for rehabilitation, she said. And equally important, "to send a clear message to all others," contemplating the same behaviors as Bradshaw, said Schmid. Hart, Bradshaw's defense attorney, argued, given Bradshaw's young age, the limited time he was involved in the offenses and the depression and loneliness he was feeling, a "gentle correction" would be appropriate. Bradshaw has overcome difficulties in his life, said Hart. A punitive discharge would have a negative impact on his potential for success in life. Cleveland called a recess to consider the punishment for Bradshaw. The Uniform Code of Military Justice provides a maximum confinement of 10 years for the possession of child pornography and 20 years for the distribution. The charge Bradshaw had pled guilty to included three incidences of each, totally a potential of 90 years in confinement. But due to the pre-trial agreement on the maximum punishment, the judge could not impose a greater punishment than the agreement. The judge could, however, impose less. When the court-martial resumed, Cleveland delivered a sentence of reduction in rank to E-1, 5-years confinement and a dishonorable discharge. However, because of the pre-trial agreement, the confinement was reduced to 25 months. Bradshaw was placed in the Garfield County Detention facility until he can be transferred to the federal facility where he will serve his confinement.