A U.S. Army veteran who most recently was a civilian resident of Joint Base Lewis McChord, Washington was sentenced Monday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 225 months in prison for abusive sexual contact with a child under 12, and sexual abuse of a child.
Shawn Matthew Wilcher, 40, is also required to register as a sex offender and will be on lifetime supervised release following his prison term, U.S. Attorney Nick Brown said in a release.
“This type of horrific abuse of a young child cannot be explained or justified, despite whatever demons Mr. Wilcher battles from his military service. His crimes have created ripples of destruction many times over,” said Brown.
Wilcher served tours of duty in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In his plea agreement, Wilcher admits that he sexually molested a young child left in his care during his residence at both military bases. The abuse came to light in May 2019, when the victim disclosed the abuse to a friend who reported it to a school counselor. Army Criminal Investigative Division (CID) and the FBI immediately investigated the case.
“He will get treatment for the PTSD he blames for his conduct, but studies indicate this young victim will suffer long-lasting trauma throughout her life – trauma that is difficult, if not impossible, to remedy,” added Brown.
According to court records, Wilcher is the spouse of an active-duty enlisted Army soldier. Between October 2015 and January 2018, Wilcher lived with his spouse on Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii. Between Oct. 1, 2018, and May 21, 2019, Wilcher and his spouse resided on Joint Base Lewis McChord.
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At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said the crime, “was horrendously serious… the victim endured repeated violence over a long period of time…. She endured unimaginable terror.”
Wilcher has been in custody since his arrest on May 25, 2019.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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