An Army major and decorated Ranger School graduate has been sentenced to 53 years in military prison following a shocking court-martial conviction that included the rape of a transgender woman who required reconstructive genital surgery after the assault.
Maj. Jonathan J. Batt, 40, a 2007 West Point graduate and veteran of multiple combat tours, was convicted in June 2025 of 20 criminal violations under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), including rape, sexual assault, aggravated assault by strangulation, and obstruction of justice. The charges involved eight women, part of a larger group of nearly 20 who came forward with disturbing allegations of sexual violence spanning from July 2020 to February 2023.
One of Batt’s victims, Erica Carosella, testified that Batt raped her shortly after she underwent gender reassignment surgery. Carosella, who had only just met Batt through a dating app, said she told him she wasn’t medically cleared for intercourse and pleaded with him to stop. He ignored her, leaving her bloodied and in need of additional reconstructive surgery.
“For a long time, I felt like a walking piece of evidence,” Carosella told NBC4’s investigative team, who first reported on the case. She later testified in court and was instrumental in bringing other victims forward.
A Pattern of Abuse and Depravity
The Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel presented a pattern of predatory behavior at trial. Prosecutors said Batt used dating apps to lure women, then subjected them to violent assaults including rape, choking, biting, and bondage — often aboard his yacht, the self-named “Batt Boat,” or in his Northern Virginia apartment.
Capt. Stephanie Ryder, the lead prosecutor, told jurors Batt had a “sadistic obsession” with domination and that none of the encounters were consensual. Many victims testified they were physically restrained, pinned down, or strangled to the point of losing consciousness. Some were fellow service members, including a new female soldier assigned to his unit whom he targeted on her first day.
“He knew what right looked like,” said Lt. Col. Greg Vetere, co-prosecutor on the case. “And he did everything against what right looks like.”
Batt, a former officer with the 75th Ranger Regiment and 82nd Airborne Division, denied the allegations in court. He claimed the encounters were consensual and that the women “wanted” what happened — a claim jurors ultimately rejected.
He was found guilty of:
- 2 specifications of rape
- 5 specifications of sexual assault
- 2 specifications of aggravated assault by strangulation
- 10 specifications of assault consummated by battery
- 1 specification of obstruction of justice
Batt was acquitted on charges related to seven additional alleged victims. During sentencing, four duplicative guilty findings were conditionally dismissed, but the core convictions stood.
He was sentenced to 53 years in confinement, dismissal from the Army, and loss of all pay and benefits. He will serve his sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and must register as a sex offender upon release.
Systemic Delays, Civilian Silence
The road to accountability was long — and fraught with setbacks. Carosella first reported her assault to Alexandria Police in August 2021 but later asked to pause the case due to trauma. By the time she resumed cooperation a year later, several other women had posted warnings about Batt on a Facebook group titled “Are We Dating the Same Guy? – Washington D.C.”
Despite mounting reports, Alexandria prosecutors declined to press charges. Many of Batt’s accusers say they never received follow-up contact. Some interviews with detectives lasted less than 20 minutes.
Eventually, Army CID picked up the case and launched its own investigation. Their efforts uncovered additional victims and brought the case to trial.
“This is just something that was against all of the Army values which we hold dear,” said Lt. Col. Vetere. “This case sends a message that the Army doesn’t tolerate this kind of behavior.”
Batt was last assigned to the Defense Department’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center in Crystal City, Virginia, after previous postings with elite units including the 5th Ranger Training Battalion and the 3rd Infantry Regiment (“The Old Guard”).
“He Robbed Me of My Safety and Self”
Many of Batt’s victims delivered searing impact statements during sentencing. One survivor, Rachel Sirota — a first-grade special education teacher — described being raped on a Jet Ski in the Potomac River and said the trauma still shapes her daily life.
“You’re present on every first date. There for the first time someone new touches me,” she wrote in her statement. “Even five years later, my life continues to be dictated by your choices.”
Since the military convictions did not include her case, Sirota was not permitted to read that statement in court.
An Officer Who Preyed on the Vulnerable
Batt’s background made his fall more shocking. A highly educated officer who wore the coveted Ranger tab and served in combat, he cultivated the image of a charismatic professional. But in private, prosecutors argued, he used charm and his status as a cover for sexual violence.
“This was someone that was educated at West Point… and he used every ounce of that to manipulate, dominate, and destroy lives,” said Ryder.
The Army CID, Alexandria Police Department, and Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel all played roles in the investigation. Civilian attorney Ryan Guilds, who represented several victims pro bono, criticized the legal gap for civilian survivors in military cases.
“By federal law, these women weren’t entitled to legal representation during the court-martial,” he said. “We tried to give as much power back to them as possible.”
Batt’s sentence is one of the harshest handed down in recent military sex crime prosecutions. Officials say it underscores a renewed emphasis on rooting out sexual predators from the ranks, regardless of rank or reputation.
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