Ex-soldier pleaded guilty to raping children, including at JBLM. Now he’s been sentenced

A former soldier who raped two children on military bases, including Joint Base Lewis-McChord, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Thursday.

In July 2020, Lewis Patrick Thompson was arrested for raping two children at overseas bases and in the United States, according to a Friday news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington. Thompson, now 40, had been serving as the children’s caregivers when he committed the crimes.

The victims told other adults about the abuse when they were 11 years old. Investigators with the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI then looked into the claims, the release states.

Thompson pleaded guilty in October 2022. Once released from prison, he will serve a lifetime of supervised release. He is currently being held at SeaTac’s Federal Detention Center.

Thompson will be required to pay restitution for his victim’s counseling and care. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan will determine the amount at a future hearing.

Under Washington law, rape of a child under age 12 is a class A felony. A person who commits this crime can face a maximum sentence of life in prison, according to Seattle-based law firm Black & Askerov, PLLC.