Army NCO found guilty of sexual assault and child abuse

FORT SILL, Okla. – November 8, Sgt. staff. Maneul A. Erb, 39, was convicted of sexually abusing a family member and sentenced by a military judge to 11 years in prison.

The abuse occurred while he was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, between September 2021 and September 2022, when the victim was 12 years old.

An investigation into this case was initiated after the victim confided in her friend about the abuse and the friend’s mother reported it to local law enforcement in Lawton, Okla. The authorities immediately contacted the Criminal Investigation Division of the Military Criminal Investigation Department and jointly conducted a thorough investigation.

“The U.S. Army and prosecutorial team have been committed to justice in this case from day one,” said Maj. Wayne Janoe, chief prosecutor of the Fourth Military District Office of the Special Counsel. “We may never have had the opportunity to hold the perpetrator accountable if the mother of the victim’s best friend had not had the courage to raise the alarm to law enforcement.”

Specifically, Erb was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault of a child, two counts of sexual abuse of a child and one count of making a false official statement.

In addition to the prison sentence, a military judge reduced Erb to the rank of E-1 and imposed a dishonorable discharge. Once released from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements.

“Army CID Special Agents work diligently to prevent and investigate serious crimes while holding accountable those who prey on children and commit crimes,” said Special Agent in Charge Maria E. Thomas, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Office off-road in central Texas. “CID is committed to keeping military communities safe by working closely with OSTC to build confidence in the judicial process.”

Oklahoma Interviewing Services, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization specializing in forensic interviews of children, played a key role in this case by helping obtain information from the victim within days of her disclosure of abuse.

“We couldn’t have achieved this confidence without their high-quality work,” Janoe said.

“The vigilance of the entire community is required to keep these children safe, and we are grateful for the opportunity to obtain justice for this child so that he can continue on the path to healing,” he added.

The investigation was conducted by the Lawton Police Department and the Fort Sill Resident Field Agency of the Military CID. The case was handled by Janoe and Capt. Griffin Pardales, Office of the Personnel Judge Advocate, U.S. Army Fire Center of Excellence and Fort Sill.

The Military Office of Special Trial Counsel is composed of specially trained military attorneys, lawyers and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious crimes. Headquartered in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, OSTC has eight regional headquarters that oversee 28 field offices located throughout the country, including Europe and Korea.