General admits guilt on 3 counts but he denies assault

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — An Army general accused of sexual assault pleaded guilty to three lesser charges today in a move his lawyer hopes will strengthen his position going into trial.

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair entered the plea before opening statements in his court-martial at Fort Bragg. The primary accuser in the case is a female captain who says Sinclair twice forced her to perform oral sex and threatened to kill her family if she told anyone about their three-year affair.

Sinclair, 51, still faces five charges, including sexual assault, in his trial before a jury of five generals. The former deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted on the most serious charges.

The case against Sinclair, believed to be the most senior member of the U.S. military ever to face trial on sexual assault charges, comes as the Pentagon grapples with a troubling string of revelations involving rape and sexual misconduct within the ranks.