Private Travis King, the U.S. Army soldier who fled to North Korea earlier this year, is now facing eight charges from the Army, including desertion and possession of child pornography, according to reports from Reuters and CBS News. The charges, which were obtained from court documents, also include making false statements, disobeying superior officers, assault against fellow soldiers, solicitation of child pornography, and insubordination for violating curfew and drinking alcohol in violation of Army regulations.

According to the reports, King had a history of misconduct before his escape to North Korea, including a previous attempted escape from U.S. military custody in October 2022. He was also accused of assaulting other soldiers and officers, as well as possessing and soliciting child pornography. It is alleged that King solicited a Snapchat user to produce child pornography in July 2023.

King's mother, Claudine Gates, released a statement expressing her concern for her son's mental health and asking that he be presumed innocent. She stated that the man she raised did not drink and believed something happened to him while he was deployed. She also mentioned that the Army had promised to investigate the circumstances surrounding King's time at Camp Humphreys.

The incident leading to King's escape occurred on July 18, when he reportedly ran away from a tour group and crossed into the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea. Prior to this, he had spent approximately two months in a South Korean detention facility following a physical altercation with locals. During his time at the facility, he expressed his desire not to return to America.

North Korea's state media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported that King confessed to crossing into North Korea due to "inhuman maltreatment and racial discrimination within the U.S. Army." However, details about King's treatment in North Korean custody and his reasons for fleeing to the reclusive nation are still scarce.

King was eventually returned to U.S. custody in September and was flown to a military hospital in Texas for medical and mental health evaluations. The Army's case against King, which was not previously reported, sets up a significant legal battle for the 23-year-old soldier.

Throughout this ordeal, King's family has stood by him, hiring a legal team that includes Franklin Rosenblatt, who served as lead military defense counsel during the court martial proceedings against Bowe Bergdahl, the Army sergeant held captive by the Taliban after walking off his post in Afghanistan in 2009. King's family believes he should be presumed innocent and is awaiting the results of the Army's investigation into his time at Camp Humphreys.

The Army has not yet commented on the charges against King, but it has previously stated that its priority was ensuring King's proper care after his release from North Korean custody. The negotiations for his release involved the Swedish government retrieving him in North Korea and bringing him across the border into China for a handoff to the U.S. ambassador.