The Army Specialist Pedophile, Blake E. Bedford, 27, was found guilty of rape and child sexual abuse at the conclusion of his court-martial on May 27 in the Fort Stewart Courtroom.
Blake Bedford, a land combat electronic missile system repairer with the 3rd Infantry Division, received a sentence of 30 years in prison, a fall in rank to E-1, and a dishonourable discharge from a military tribunal.
The offences transpired between July 2021 and November 2022 while Blake Bedford resided in Reidsville, Georgia. The victim was aged 6 to 8 years at the time.
In late January 2024, after the victim had relocated from Blake Bedford, she disclosed to her mother and grandmother the abuse she had suffered at his hands. The mother approached Blake Bedford over the abuse with this knowledge.
Subsequent to their discussion, Blake Bedford notified his first sergeant, who promptly engaged the Family Advocacy Program and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
During an interview with Army CID investigators on March 7, 2024, Blake Bedford confessed to raping the victim while the family resided in Reidsville.
“Analyzing the evidence gathered by well-trained and experienced Army CID agents, understanding what happened to the victim, and conveying that evidence to a military panel is critical to any case, especially a case involving a child victim under 12,” said Lt. Col. Amanda Beckham, prosecutor, Second Circuit, Army Office of Special Trial Counsel.
“The hard work and dedication put into this case by members of the Fort Stewart Army CID, Special Agent Nathan Ivey and Special Agent Ewen Tesot, the 3rd Infantry Division Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team’s Legal Office, and the Fort Stewart OSTC was critical in developing and supporting every effort in this case which resulted in a just conviction and appropriate sentence,” she said.
“While no conviction can undo the harm caused by Bedford, his removal from society delivers a measure of justice to the survivor and her family,” said Army CID Southeast Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Ryan O’Connor. “This outcome reinforces our unwavering commitment to protecting the safety and well-being of all children.”
Blake Bedford will serve his prison sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Upon release from prison, he will be required to register as a sex offender and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements.
This case was investigated by the Army CID’s Fort Stewart Resident Agency and prosecuted by Beckham, Maj. David Blum, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 3rd Infantry Division, and Capt. Jacqueline Dieguez, Second Circuit, Army OSTC.
The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is comprised of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious criminal offenses. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., OSTC has eight regional headquarters that oversee 28 field offices located across the country to include Europe and Korea. For more information visit https://www.army.mil/ostc.
If you would like to report a crime, have information about a crime, or have been the subject or survivor of a crime, you can submit anonymou tips to Army CID at https://www.p3tips.com/tipform.aspx?ID=325.
THE ARMY HAVEN’T RELEASED A PICTURE OF THE PEDOPHILE SO YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO SEE HIM COMING?!
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.