Soldier receives probation after being charged with “aggravated criminal sodomy” of a 12-year-old he met on a dating app

Lexi Garcia

The Manhattan Mercury, Kan.

(TNS)

Dec. 22—A second Fort Riley soldier has been sentenced to probation after getting credit for 27 days served in a child sex case involving a girl who posed as an adult on a dating app.

Riley County Judge John Bosch sentenced Brian Markel Griffith, 22, on Wednesday at Riley County Courthouse for aggravated indecent solicitation of a child.

Griffith previously faced one count of rape and three counts of aggravated criminal sodomy, but he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge on Aug. 22.

The state sought 60 days in prison, but Bosch said Griffith’s 27 days in jail after the arrest was enough. Griffith received 36 months of probation. Bosch ordered 24 months of post-release supervision and paying $490 in restitution.

Bosch also ordered Griffith to have no social media, no employment in a place where teens are employed, no contact with the victim, no associating with unfamiliar minors, to register as a sex offender, and to follow through on recommended therapy.

During the hearing on Wednesday, Griffith’s attorney Cole Hawver said Griffith went through a clinical evaluation. The results of the evaluation state that Griffith needs to go through a treatment program for self-discipline in his sexual behaviors.

Griffith downloaded an app called BLK and began talking to a 12-year-old girl who posed to be a 19-year-old woman. Griffith’s attorney said they had talked on the phone once to plan to have sexual intercourse and after they met up, he never saw her after that. His crimes took place in late May 2020.

The girl and her mother made statements before sentencing. The Mercury does not name victims of sexual assault.

The girl said she apologizes for everything.

“What I did was extremely unacceptable, and I’m very sorry for it,” she said.

The mom said the interaction between Griffith and the girl was not “savage or forced.”

“Do I think he got on the site with the intention of meeting a 12-year-old? No,” she said. “I hope he has learned from this situation to better those around him.”

Griffith also spoke before being sentenced.

“It’s unfortunate. I would just like to apologize to anyone that I hurt,” he said.

Griffith and three other soldiers, Jamichael Strahan, 21, Tavian Tishun, 21, and Zelond Benymon, 21, all initially faced rape charges for incidents involving the same girl. They’ve all pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent solicitation.

Zelond was sentenced to 60 days and probation in Nov. 23.

Strahan is set for sentencing at 11 a.m. on Dec. 27 in front of Judge Kendra Lewison. Tishun is set for sentencing at 9 a.m. on Dec. 27 in front of Lewison.

Prosecutors said the four soldiers were involved with the girl, but there was no evidence that the defendants knew each other.

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