Another Army Instructor Faces Sex Charges Sergeant Is 11th Man Charged At Aberdeen Proving Ground

Another instructor at the Aberdeen Proving Ground was charged Tuesday with sexual misconduct involving female subordinates, making him the 11th man charged in the ongoing sex scandal.

Staff Sgt. Marvin Kelley, 33, had improper relationships with six trainees and one female soldier stationed at Aberdeen, the Army said.

Kelley was also charged with two counts of obstruction of justice, five counts of failing to obey an order prohibiting such relationships, one count of making a false statement, and three counts of adultery, the Army said.

No further details on the charges were released. An Army spokesman Tuesday night did not know Kelley’s race. The other 10 men charged with sexual misconduct at Aberdeen are black; most of their accusers are white.

Also Tuesday, the judge in the court-martial of a drill sergeant facing 25 charges of rape denied a defense request to interview high-ranking Army officials who last fall called for “zero tolerance” of sexual misconduct.

Lawyers for Sgt. Delmar Simpson argued during a pre-trial hearing that comments made by Secretary Togo West and other Army officials made it impossible for Simpson to receive a fair court-martial and led Aberdeen commanders to charge him with rape when he may have had consensual sex.

“It is our sense that the Army needs somebody to hang rape on,” said defense lawyer Frank J. Spinner.

But the judge, Col. Paul Johnston, said he reviewed newspaper clippings and broadcast news reports and did not believe they showed Army officials unduly influenced Simpson’s court-martial.

Simpson, 32, is charged with scores of offenses involving as many as 28 female soldiers. If convicted, he could face life in prison. His trial begins next Monday.

Johnston recessed the pre-trial hearing until Thursday. He did not indicate when he would rule on another defense request, this one to dismiss the charges against Simpson.