FORT MEADE, Md. – After deliberating for two and a half days, a military jury convicted an Army major of rape, sexual assault and other crimes against multiple victims during his court-martial at the Fort Meade courtroom June 23.
Maj. Jonathan J. Batt, 40, was found guilty by a military jury of 17 specifications, specifically two specifications of rape, five specifications of sexual assault, two specifications of aggravated assault by strangulation, seven specifications of assault consummated by a battery, and one specification of obstructing justice. These specifications involve eight of the 15 victims.
Batt was found not guilty of 21 specifications, specifically four specifications of rape, five specifications of sexual assault, three specifications of abusive sexual contact and nine specifications of assault consummated by a battery.
During the sentencing phase of the trial on June 24, the military judge sentenced him to 53 years in prison, total forfeiture of pay and allowances, and dismissal from the Army.
Batt committed these crimes on various occasions between Aug 20, 2020, and Feb. 17, 2023, and mostly in the Washington, D.C. area.
In August 2021, Batt raped one of the victims and she immediately informed her friends. Within days, she underwent a medical examination and reported the rape to the Alexandria Police Department. A few weeks later, she asked the APD to pause its investigation because she was still processing the trauma.
About a year later, she reapproached APD and informed the detective that multiple women had posted information about Batt’s other illegal sexual activity on a Facebook group called “Are we dating the same guy - Washington, D.C.”
She provided screenshots of those Facebook messages to the detective which led him to reopen the APD investigation. He interviewed the women identified from the Facebook page and tracked down other leads. Ultimately, the APD investigation discovered more than one dozen victims. The APD informed the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division prompting them to open their own investigation, which led to finding additional allegations involving multiple victims.
Batt met the majority of his victims using dating apps. During the trial, victims testified that when first meeting Batt they enjoyed his company. However, things changed drastically when their encounters turned violent. Victims testified about being raped, tied up with ropes, bitten and strangled during sex, some to the point of unconsciousness. Victims made it clear these acts were committed without their consent.
“As demonstrated by the convictions and punishment, Maj. Batt is a danger to society and as an Army officer he disgraced and dishonored the Army,” said Lt. Col. Greg Vetere, prosecutor, First Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel. “In a span of approximately two years, he violently raped, sexually assaulted, strangled, and battered multiple women. The Army will not tolerate such deplorable behavior and will hold offenders to account.”
“We are here today because of the bravery of 15 women. These women testified for over 20 hours over the course of two weeks about the atrocities Maj. Batt committed against them,” said Capt. Stephanie Ryder, prosecutor, First Circuit, Army OSTC. “They endured lengthy cross examinations and were forced to relive the most traumatic moments of their lives. The court’s sentence of 53 years will keep a generation of women safe from this disgraced Army officer.”
“The sentencing of Maj. Batt is a significant victory for justice and sends a clear message that sexual assault will not be tolerated in the Army,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacob Cameron of Army CID’s Washington Field Office. “Our agents worked diligently alongside the Alexandria Police Department to build a strong case, demonstrating the power of interagency cooperation in seeking justice for survivors.”
Batt, who is assigned to Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Va., will serve his prison sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Upon release he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements.
The case was investigated by Army CID’s Washington Field Office and prosecuted by Vetere, Ryder and Capt. Joseph Roman, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Military District of Washington.
The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is comprised of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious criminal offenses. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., OSTC has eight regional headquarters that oversee 28 field offices located across the country to include Europe and Korea. For more information visit https://www.army.mil/ostc.
If you would like to report a crime, have information about a crime, or have been the subject or survivor of a crime, you can submit anonymous tips to Army CID at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=325.
| Date Taken: | 06.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.24.2025 18:38 |
| Story ID: | 501411 |
| Location: | FORT MEADE , MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 1,627 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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