Former JBLM Soldier Sentenced For 'Monstrous' Abuse Of Child

LAKEWOOD, WA - A soldier formerly stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord was sentenced Wednesday to 23 years in jail for molesting and beating a child over a period of at least five years. Kenneth Descoteaux, 42, abused the child beginning at age 7 at Fort Polk in Louisiana while the child's mother was deployed, according to federal officials.

The abuse continued when Descoteaux moved to JBLM and the child was 11 years old. The victim reported the abuse to police in Cheyenne,Wyoming, last year, and Descoteaux was arrested in April 2016. The abuse at JBLM occurred between 2014 and 2015 while the mother was deployed, according to the Justice Department.

In addition to molesting the child, Descoteaux beat the child, causing hearing loss.

U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle called Descoteaux' crimes "monstrous" during the sentencing in Tacoma on Wednesday.

On top of the jail sentence, Descoteaux will be required to register as a sex offender upon release from prison, and will be under federal supervision for the rest of his life, according to the Justice Department.

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