U.S. Army Sergeant at Ft. Bliss Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison

In El Paso today, a federal judge sentenced 34–year-old U.S. Army Sergeant Ron Mitchell Dunbar to 60 years in federal prison followed by lifetime of supervised release for aggravated sexual abuse of a child and receipt and possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney John F. Bash and Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie, Jr., of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), El Paso Division.

On April 19, 2018, Dunbar pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, one count of sexual abuse of a child, one count of aiding and abetting sexual abuse of a child and one count of receipt and possession of child pornography.  By pleading guilty, Dunbar admitted that between 2007 and 2009, he sexually assaulted two minor females while on Ft. Bliss.  Furthermore, Dunbar admitted that on September 15, 2017, he obtained from 29-year-old Ft. Bliss resident Faith Mitchell Chavez multiple photos he requested of her two minor daughters engaged in sexually explicit conduct. 

“A single incident of sexual abuse can permanently alter the course of a child’s life.  Today’s 60-year sentence reflects the utter inhumanity of these types of offenses,” stated U.S. Attorney Bash.

“Crimes against children violate the most innocent and helpless members of our community. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly to investigate allegations and crimes such as the ones in this investigation,” stated FBI Special Agent in Charge Buie.

Chavez, who remains in federal custody, is scheduled for sentencing at 8:00am on November 1, 2018, before U.S. District Judge Philip R. Martinez.  On July 24, 2018, Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography.  She faces between 15 and 30 years in federal prison.

The FBI, together with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigations Command, investigated this case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian Hanna prosecuted this case on behalf of the Government.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.