A years-long investigation involving Fort Hood Sergeant Major Victor Manuel Rivera appears to have reached a significant milestone this month as a General Court-Martial at Fort Hood concluded while related criminal proceedings continue in Bell County, Texas.
According to Army trial records, Rivera was tried by a General Court-Martial from June 4 through June 12, 2026. The docket reflects that Rivera pleaded not guilty and elected trial by an enlisted panel. Army records show the case involved multiple alleged violations of Article 120b of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which covers sexual offenses involving children, as well as multiple Article 134 specifications.
As of publication, the Army had not released more than just the charges and trial dates. The Salty Soldier has requested additional information from both Fort Hood officials and the Office of Special Trial Counsel.
The military prosecution unfolded alongside a long-running criminal case in Bell County, Texas, where Rivera has faced allegations involving two children who were members of his family household.
Recently obtained court records, including Bell County filings and a Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division search warrant affidavit, provide a detailed look at an investigation spanning more than six years and reveal allegations that prosecutors contend demonstrate a pattern of conduct extending well beyond the original reports made to law enforcement.
According to the CID affidavit, allegations involving Rivera were first reported to Harker Heights police on Dec. 24, 2019, after one of the children disclosed alleged sexual abuse to her mother. The affidavit states the child reported abuse that allegedly occurred over several years while she was between the ages of approximately 8 and 13.
Editor’s Note: Due to the sensitive nature of this case and the involvement of minors, certain details have been omitted from this public version of the article. Age-verified subscribers may access a more detailed report, including redacted court records and investigative documents referenced herein. All documents have been reviewed and redacted to protect the identities of alleged victims, investigators, and other individuals whose identities are not necessary for public understanding of the case.
The affidavit further states the child described incidents occurring during movie nights in the family home, allegations involving tents erected inside the residence, and occasions in which Rivera allegedly arranged sleeping accommodations that separated her from other family members.
According to investigators, the child also described trips she allegedly took with Rivera between Killeen and El Paso. The affidavit states she alleged abuse occurred during some of those hotel stays.
Investigators also reviewed journal entries reportedly written by the child. According to the affidavit, those writings contained additional allegations concerning the abuse.
A child forensic interview was conducted in January 2020. Harker Heights police later closed the case as unfounded.
However, according to the affidavit, the investigation was reopened in October 2020 after additional allegations surfaced involving a second child from Rivera’s household. The affidavit states the second child disclosed allegations to a school counselor, which were subsequently reported to authorities.
The investigation ultimately led to Rivera’s arrest in Bell County in 2021 on charges including Sexual Assault of a Child and Indecency with a Child. Those cases remained pending for years while prosecutors and defense attorneys litigated evidentiary and procedural matters.
In June 2025, Bell County prosecutors obtained a new indictment charging Rivera with Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Child, a first-degree felony under Texas law. Court records show Rivera was arrested and later released on bond. A pretrial hearing remains scheduled for July 10, 2026.
The records obtained by The Salty Soldier indicate prosecutors intend to present evidence that the allegations were not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of conduct allegedly occurring over several years.
One December 2024 filing notifies the defense that prosecutors intend to present statements allegedly made by both children from Rivera’s household. Another filing alleges additional child sexual abuse offenses involving one of the children and states prosecutors intend to introduce evidence they contend occurred between approximately 2018 and 2019.
Court records further indicate prosecutors intend to present testimony from Rivera’s former spouse concerning concerns she allegedly raised years before the criminal investigation became public.
According to the CID affidavit, investigators interviewed Rivera’s former wife in November 2020. The affidavit states she reported Rivera attended counseling in approximately 2008 or 2009 for what she described as a pornography addiction. Investigators further wrote that she reported discovering Rivera viewing pornography advertised as “young girl/teen porn” and alleged that, while serving as an Army recruiter, Rivera engaged in inappropriate communications with high school-aged girls while working as an Army recruiter.
Those allegations predate the reports involving the children in Rivera’s household by many years and are among the earliest concerns referenced in the records reviewed by The Salty Soldier.
The investigation expanded significantly after Army forensic examiners gained access to electronic devices associated with Rivera.
According to the affidavit, Fort Hood’s Digital Forensics Examination Cell examined a cellphone seized during the investigation and identified suspected child sexual abuse material. Investigators reported the device was password protected and required a lengthy brute-force process before a complete forensic extraction could be performed.
The affidavit further states that a February 2026 review of the phone identified multiple images investigators classified as suspected or possible child sexual abuse material.
Investigators also reported discovering website activity they believed relevant to the investigation, including visits to websites associated with pornography and search terms involving family-role scenarios.
According to the affidavit, one item identified by investigators referenced the first name of one of the alleged victims.
The affidavit additionally states investigators determined the phone had been factory reset in December 2020, shortly before the second report of alleged abuse that led authorities to reopen the case.
As investigators continued examining electronic evidence, the case expanded beyond the original allegations.
According to the affidavit, investigators reviewed jail communications and alleged Rivera instructed a girlfriend to delete files and online accounts while he was incarcerated. Investigators further alleged he directed her to retrieve hard drives, computer equipment, and other electronics from his residence.
The affidavit states investigators later learned the girlfriend had moved Rivera’s property into storage units in Killeen. Those allegations ultimately led CID to seek search warrants for the units in April 2026 as investigators searched for electronic devices and other potential evidence.
Investigators also alleged Rivera violated previously imposed bond conditions. According to the affidavit, authorities reviewed cellphone data, social media activity, and ring-camera footage and concluded Rivera had removed his court-ordered ankle monitor and violated conditions of release. The affidavit states Rivera was subsequently placed into military pretrial confinement.
Court records further show Bell County prosecutors sought additional bond conditions after noting Rivera was already facing multiple pending felony cases involving allegations against children.
Taken together, the records outline an investigation that evolved from an initial report in 2019 into a multi-agency inquiry involving local law enforcement, Bell County prosecutors, Army criminal investigators, digital forensic examinations, search warrants, allegations of evidence concealment, suspected child sexual abuse material, and ultimately a General Court-Martial.
What remains unknown is how the military proceedings concluded.
While the Army trial docket reflects that the court-martial was scheduled to conclude on June 12, no official findings, sentence information, or Statement of Trial Results had been released as of publication.
The Salty Soldier has requested additional records and information concerning the disposition of the court-martial and will update this story as further information becomes available.
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