Two army instructors jailed over sexual relations with 17-year-old recruit

The court heard that Pugh, a member of the Grenadier Guards, and Forgan, who served with the Welsh Guards, were veterans of Afghanistan

ITC Catterick (Google )

Two Army instructors have been jailed and dismissed from the military after engaging in sexual relations with a 17-year-old recruit.

Lance Sergeant Antony Pugh, 36, and Sergeant Connor Forgan, 32, were found to have formed separate sexual relationships with the trainee, whose identity is protected for legal reasons.

The pair, who were instructors at the infantry training centre in North Yorkshire, reportedly boasted to each other about their conduct. Their actions were revealed during a court martial held in Bulford, Wiltshire.

They had both denied a charge of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust but were convicted by a court martial board following a trial last year.

The court heard that Pugh, a member of the Grenadier Guards, and Forgan, who served with the Welsh Guards, were both veterans of the conflict in Afghanistan.

Commander Edward Hannah, prosecuting, told the court: “She has chosen not to provide a victim personal statement, and she wishes to move on from these matters.”

Cmdr Hannah said both defendants had shown degrees of planning in committing the offences and that they were in positions of trust owing to their rank.

“The hierarchal structure of the military places power with rank, especially in a training facility,” he said.

The court heard that after having sex with Pugh, the recruit had to take STD and pregnancy tests, and also suffered an internal injury during the encounter.

Pugh and Forgan also shared lewd messages about the teenager after sleeping with her.

“The messages between the defendants were degrading and demeaning,” Cmdr Hannah said.

Rachel Beckett, defending Pugh, asked the court to pass a suspended prison sentence upon the father-of-two.

“There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in the community and the pre-sentence report supports that conclusion,” she said.

“He is in a relationship with his partner of eight years, and she supports him in court today.

“He has two children and the family live in service accommodation which will be lost with dismissal.

“Dismissal itself will have a significant impact, not only on L/Sgt Pugh but his dependant family.”

Beverley Cripps, defending Forgan, said he had accepted the messages he exchanged with Pugh were “disgraceful and crass”.

“In the references to the court he is somebody who is seen to have a good career in front of him and is someone who led by example,” she said.

“I would ask you to take into account his quite impressive service history.”

Passing sentence, Assistant Judge Advocate General Jane England said: “There were rules in place at ITC Catterick to protect both trainees and instructors.

“One such rule that there was to be no fraternisation between instructors and recruits.

“Any communications were expected to be professional but you both engaged in unprofessional communication which quickly turned sexual.”

Referring to the messages the defendants shared, the judge said: “You both referred to her in a disgraceful, indecent and misogynistic manner.

“She was a 17-year-old child and she was not deserving of that.”

The judge said the offence they were convicted of existed to protect children from being “groomed and exploited” by those in authority over them.

“There is such a power imbalance within those kind of relationships and it’s difficult for any child and young person to resist the intention of the responsible adult in the relationship,” she said.

“Power imbalance is exacerbated within the services, and service personnel are taught to follow the orders of those senior to them.

“In an instructional environment such as this, instructors set the tone for the rest of the recruit’s career.

“Instructors are looked upon as role models, mentors and their importance is very often elevated in the mind as well.

“Instructors may be the first positive role model some recruits have ever had.

“It’s not uncommon to hear that recruits may refer to their instructors as God, not in a religious sense, but in their minds of someone who embodies all that is good about their armed forces and that is all powerful.

“As far as they are concerned, instructors also hold the careers of the recruits in their hands as part of the decision-making process as to whether a recruit makes the grade or not comes from the instructors.

“For these reasons, we do consider that the abuse of trust is greater in our forces than it is in many other situations.

“Both in your own way preyed upon a vulnerable young recruit, a child.

“As instructors you were well aware of where the line was, and you both willingly stepped over that line for your own sexual interests.”

Pugh was jailed for 20 months, while Forgan received a 16-month sentence and both were reduced to the ranks and dismissed from the Army.

Both were placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.