A British Major General, James Roddis, has made history by becoming the first high-ranking military official to be charged with a sex crime.
Married and with three children, Roddis will face trial in a military court later this month for sexual assault, as reported by The Sun.
This unprecedented development marks only the second occasion in 200 years that an official of his rank has been called to trial. Roddis is alleged to have violated Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act, which covers offences including ‘sexual assault by touching’. Although no longer in active military service, his trial is scheduled at Bulford Military Courts in Wiltshire.
An Army spokesperson underscored the gravity with which allegations of misconduct are treated, stating, “We expect very high standards of behaviour from all our personnel.”
Originally from Fife, Scotland, Roddis boasts a distinguished career spanning three decades, including a tenure as a director at Strategy Command overseeing SAS missions and offensive cyber warfare campaigns.
He has received numerous honours throughout his service, including the Distinguished Service Order for his actions in Afghanistan and an MBE bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II.
Roddis completed four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, commanding units of up to 120 soldiers during his deployments.
Before these charges, the last British Major General to face a court martial was Nick Welch, convicted of fraud in 2004. Historically, charges against officials of Roddis’s rank have been infrequent, with the last instance dating back to 1815 when Lieutenant General Sir John Murray faced charges related to military conduct during the Napoleonic Wars.
Major General Roddis’s case is anticipated to garner significant attention within military circles and beyond as the trial date approaches.
