On July 1, 2025, Private First Class Zachery B. Kernop, a U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Eustis, was convicted at a general court-martial of sexually abusing a child, a crime that falls under Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Kernop pleaded guilty to one specification of indecent conduct with a child, and the military judge sentenced him to eight months of confinement and a bad-conduct discharge. The punishment was consistent with the terms of a plea agreement.
Kernop’s conviction falls under Article 120b: Rape and Sexual Assault of a Child, a specific offense created by the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. Before the 2022 overhaul, most sex crimes in the military fell under the broader and less detailed Article 120. Now, Article 120b carves out a separate category for crimes involving victims under the age of 16, with clearly defined offenses: rape, sexual assault, sexual abuse, and indecent conduct with a child.
Under the statute, “indecent conduct” includes intentionally exposing one’s genitalia, masturbating in the presence of a child, or communicating indecent language for sexual gratification—acts which fall short of physical contact but are still criminal due to the age of the victim.
The Army has not publicly released specific details of the conduct in question, but Kernop’s conviction confirms that the court found sufficient evidence of inappropriate and unlawful behavior with a minor.
Kernop is from Cordova, Alabama, a small town in Walker County. His family has faced public tragedy in the past. In 2018, his 17-year-old sister, Jamie Marie Kernop, was killed during a violent home invasion while she and her boyfriend were preparing to leave for class at Bevill State Community College. According to the Alabama Reflector, Jamie tried to escape but was clotheslined by one of the shooters and executed with a gunshot to the back of the head. She was the only person killed in the attack.
The trauma devastated the family. Zachery’s mother, Misty Kernop, later admitted she spiraled into alcoholism for nearly two years. “I started drinking very heavily and turned into a raging alcoholic,” she told reporters. “Until one day I just realized that I wasn’t doing myself, my daughter, my kids that are still here – none of us – any justice whatsoever.” She got sober on June 10, 2020, and has spoken openly about her recovery journey.
Misty also publicly documented Zachery’s Army boot camp graduation, where a girl he had been friends with online since they were both 12 years old surprised him by attending in person. The two had connected through video games and had maintained a years-long online friendship before finally meeting face-to-face at the graduation. At the time, the moment was celebrated by family on social media as a touching example of long-distance connection and support.
While that detail was originally shared as a feel-good moment, it now raises questions in hindsight about Kernop’s longstanding online habits and online relationships with girls.
Kernop is currently serving his eight-month sentence. Once completed, he will be discharged from the Army with a bad-conduct discharge, a designation that will follow him into civilian life and restrict future employment and benefits.
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