US soldier in Iraq jailed for possessing child porn

BAGHDAD, Oct 21 (Reuters) A US soldier in Iraq has been convicted in a court martial of possessing child pornography and sentenced to 18 months in prison, the US military said today.

Sergeant Angel Escobales, 38, pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced on October 7. He was arrested after members of his unit discovered 12 videos of child pornography on his personal laptop in July.

''A military judge convicted and sentenced Escobales to 18 months' confinement, reduction to the grade of private (E-1) and to receive a bad conduct discharge,'' the military said in a statement.

The former commander of a US detention facility in Baghdad was found guilty at a court martial last week of illegally possessing secret documents and having an inappropriate relationship with an Iraqi woman interpreter.

Lieutenant-Colonel William Steele was sentenced to two years in jail and dismissed from the military. He was acquitted of the more serious charge of ''aiding the enemy'', which carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

REUTERS GL RAI2043