An enlisted U.S. Army staff sergeant with more than a decade of service has been convicted at a general court-martial, according to official military court records.
On Feb. 2, 2026, SSG Kyle J. Maneke, U.S. Army, was convicted at a general court-martial convened at Fort Benning, Georgia. Maneke pleaded guilty before a military judge to one specification of possession of child sexual abuse material and one specification of distribution of child sexual abuse material, both charged under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
The military judge sentenced Maneke to reduction to the grade of E-1, confinement for 42 months, and a bad-conduct discharge. The sentence was imposed pursuant to a plea agreement.
Available records indicate Maneke entered the Army no later than 2012. That year, he completed One Station Unit Training (OSUT) for infantry soldiers at Fort Benning, a combined basic and advanced training pipeline that typically lasts approximately 14 weeks.
Based on his training completion date and rank at the time of his court-martial, Maneke appears to have served for approximately 13 to 14 years, progressing from an initial infantry enlistment to the rank of staff sergeant.
Following completion of infantry training, Maneke was assigned to Fort Riley, Kansas, where he joined the 1st Infantry Division. His military occupational specialty at entry was infantry.
Publicly available social media associated with Maneke suggests he later served as a drill sergeant during his career. The Army has not confirmed whether he was serving in a training or leadership billet at the time of the misconduct that led to his court-martial.
The case was prosecuted under the authority of the Fort Benning General Court-Martial Convening Authority and heard within the Army’s 3rd Judicial Circuit. The trial was conducted by a military judge sitting alone.
The offenses were resolved through a guilty plea, and the adjudged sentence was consistent with the terms of a negotiated plea agreement.
The Salty Soldier is actively seeking additional information regarding Maneke’s full duty history, leadership assignments, and the timeline of events leading to the charges. Requests for records related to his assignments, disciplinary history, and post-trial confinement status are ongoing.
As of publication, the Army has not released further public details regarding Maneke’s prior roles, the scope of the investigation, or whether any administrative actions preceded the court-martial.
This article will be updated as additional records or official responses become available.
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