FORT RILEY, Kan. – An Army sergeant who pleaded guilty to raping a child was sentenced by the military judge to 31 years in prison during his court-martial Sept. 4 at the Fort Riley courtroom.
Staff Sgt. Rodney S. Sneed III, 35, an M1 Armor Crewmember assigned to the 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, was also sentenced to a dishonorable discharge from the Army.
On Sept. 12, 2025, the victim, an 11-year-old, confided to a friend that Sneed raped her the previous day.
The friend notified a school guidance counselor who reported the incident to the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
Army CID agents spoke to the victim briefly at the school, then transported her to their offices for a more extensive interview where she informed them that Sneed repeatedly raped her over the years.
After the interview, Army CID agents accompanied her off post to the hospital in Manhattan, Kansas, where evidence collected during a Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Exam confirmed she had been sexually assaulted by Sneed.
“This result would not have been possible without the immense bravery of the victim in coming forward, the hard work of Army CID’s Fort Riley Resident Agency, and the dogged pursuit of justice by the prosecution team,” said Maj. Bryanna Beauchamp, Special Trial Counsel Officer In Charge, Fort Riley Field Office, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
“Army CID remains unwavering in its commitment to pursuing anyone who harms, exploits, or abuses a child,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek Tilton, Army CID’s Central Field Office. “While no punishment can undo the suffering endured by the victim, this outcome delivers meaningful accountability for an act of profound cruelty.”
Sneed will serve his confinement at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon release from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender under federal and state statutory requirements.
This case was investigated by Army CID’s Fort Riley Resident Agency, and prosecuted by Capt. Kelsey Constantino, Fourth Circuit, Fort Riley Field Office, Army OSTC, and Capt. Steve Hollins, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
About the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel: The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is composed of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert 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 worldwide, including locations in Europe and Korea. For more information visit http://www.army.mil/ostc.
To Report a Crime: 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 http://www.p3tips.com/armycid.
| Date Taken: | 09.14.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 09.14.2026 16:46 |
| Story ID: | 574673 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 15 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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