Former solider sexually abused a child on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. He’s been sentenced
A former U.S. Army solider has been sentenced to 87 months in prison for sexually abusing a child on Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Cameron James Taylor, 49 of Seattle, pleaded guilty in May 2024 to abusive contact with a 5- or 6-year-old child inside a closet in 2012, according to a Department of Justice news release. Taylor was sentenced at the U.S. District Court in Tacoma on Tuesday.
Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said the conduct in the case could cause the victim lifetime torment. He said the victim “is a strong individual” and “shows courage to move on,” the release said.
Taylor left the Army in 2016 with an “Other than Honorable” discharge after he was investigated for sexually assaulting a female who was unconscious while in Germany. Taylor then resigned in lieu of a court martial, the release said.
Taylor was convicted in 2019 once back in the United States for sexually assaulting his neighbor’s 5-year-old child, the release said. He forced the child to massage him and reach into his pants. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in King County Superior Court in 2022.
During that investigation, other children who were in Taylor’s care were interviewed. Investigators learned that the then-5- or 6-year-old child had been coached by Taylor to hide the assaults, the release said. The child ultimately disclosed the assaults to a relative.
“This horrific conduct cannot go unpunished. Our work to protect children on our military bases is a priority in the Western District of Washington,” U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman said in the release. “Mr. Taylor sexually assaulted a child who was just 5 years old. He then pressured the child to hide the conduct when questioned by other adults. I commend the strength of the victim in this case.”
Taylor is required to register as a sex offender following his time in prison, the release said.
