Private Travis King pleads guilty after fleeing to North Korea last year

UPDATE: Travis King was sentenced to 12 months for desertion and for one month each for four other offenses to be served concurrently in a military court at Fort Bliss on Friday, Sept. 20.

With time served, King is now free and will return home, his attorney said. He was also given a dishonorable dischrage.

He had served 338 days already.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Travis King, the Army private who fled to North Korea just over a year ago, pleaded guilty on Friday morning, Sept. 20, to desertion and other related charges in a courtroom at Fort Bliss.

King was charged with escape from custody, solicitation of child porn, desertion, willfully disobeying a superior officer, assault on a non-commissioned officer, false statements, assault by battery, and possession of child pornography.

King ended up pleading guilty to desertion, willfully disobeying an officer subsection one, three, four, and subsection two of assault on a non-commissioned officer.

For desertion, King faces a maximum of 12 months. All other counts carry a one-month term. All can be served concurrently.

Prosecuters want 12 months of confinement with a dishonorable discharge. The defense is asking for a bad conduct discharge.

King has already served 338 days of “pre-confinement.”

FILE - A portrait of American soldier Travis King is displayed as his grandfather, Carl Gates, talks about his grandson on July 19, 2023, in Kenosha, Wis. The Biden administration is extending for another year a ban on the use of U.S. passports for travel to North Korea, the State Department said Tuesday. The latest extension comes as tensions with North Korea are rising over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and the uncertain status of Travis King, a U.S. service member who last month entered the country through its heavily armed border. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File) — FILE – A portrait of American soldier Travis King is displayed as his grandfather, Carl Gates, talks about his grandson on July 19, 2023, in Kenosha, Wis. The Biden administration is extending for another year a ban on the use of U.S. passports for travel to North Korea, the State Department said Tuesday. The latest extension comes as tensions with North Korea are rising over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and the uncertain status of Travis King, a U.S. service member who last month entered the country through its heavily armed border. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

During the hearing, King shared that he was dissatisfied with work, and thought about leaving up to a year prior to July 18, 2023, when he fled across the demilitarized zone into North Kora.

King also shared that he wanted to leave the U.S. Army and never come back. He also said that he was diagnosed with mental conditions.

As we have previously reported, King ran off from a tour group and into North Korea last year. Once he was released back into the United States, he was detained by the U.S. military and charged.

This story will be updated when we learn more.