Stars & Stripes

29 January 1995

By Doyle Tillman

Kaiserslautern bureau

Kaiserslautern, Germany - A five-member military jury early Friday vindicated a 17-year veteran soldier of criminal charges of indecent assault and maltreatment of a subordinate.

Army Staff Sergeant Ronald C. Boykins was accused by a woman soldier of luring her into an office under false pretenses and then touching the opening of her vagina as he presumably attempted to ease the woman's back pain.

Boykins, a telecommunications operator and supervisor at the NATO telecommunications center, is assigned to SHAPE - the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe - in Casteau, Belgium.

Defense attorney DAVID COURT said his client was "very relieved". Buykins himself offered no comment on his aquittal, rendered just minutes after midnight.

"Truthfulness is a key issue to the case," military Judge (LT. Col) Larry Vick reminded the court Thursday.

"He knew he made a bad judgement call," said COURT, adding Boykins admitted as much to the court during sworn testimony.

The woman, whose reputation was called into question by the defense witnesses, acknowledged in court that she initially was not sure what had happened between the two, and that possibly she had mistaken some of Boykins' actions.

She said Boykins told her "to come with him" into a locked office, where he was presumably to show her exercises she might use to relieve lower back pain. The woman told the court she did as asked because Boykins was a non-commissioned officer and because she believed he wanted to help her.

She said that while he was showing her exercises, he reached around and slid his hand into her panties. At that point, she pulled away and attempted to leave. She said Boykins partially blocked the door and asked what was wrong. She said she had to leave and then left.

The case was tried in Kaiserslautern at the 21st Theater Army Area Comd. The command has judicial authority over soldiers assigned to SHAPE.