https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/canberra-star/hannah-paige-hite-form...A female soldier drank a whole bottle of Wild Turkey bourbon before kicking on to a bar in Townsville, where she fondled men’s genitalia and grabbed another on the buttocks in attempts to seduce them, a court has heard.
Hannah Paige Hite, 24, faced the Defence Force Magistrates Court in Canberra on Tuesday where she pleaded guilty to three counts of indecency and one count of assault in a public place.
Hite, who was a private at the time but who was sacked from the Army in December, admitted she shoved her hands down the pants of two men and fondled their genitalia.
She further admitted to touching a third man on the testicles, outside his pants, and to assaulting a fourth man by grabbing his buttocks and “licking his neck from his shoulder to his ear” in a failed attempt to seduce him.
Defence Force Magistrate Group Captain Scott Geeves described Hite’s conduct as “shameful” and said she was now old enough that “most people will expect you to behave like an adult”.
Hite admitted she was slurring her words and unsteady on her feet even before she and some mates went out to Cactus Jack’s Saloon in July last year.
While in line outside, she came up behind her first victim and grabbed his testicles.
She later walked up behind a second man and put her hands down the front of his pants and fondling him “skin on skin” for up to five seconds before he could stop her.
She also admitted to pushing her third victim up against a wall, kissing him and grabbing his penis before a sober friend pulled her away.
She assaulted her fourth victim by grabbing his buttocks and licking his neck.
Military prosecutor Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Fielden said none of the men had expressed any sexual interest in Hite, and that her short-lived career in the Army had been marked by two alcohol-related disciplinary convictions for failing to obey orders, and a civilian high range drink driving conviction.
“The standards of behaviour of the defence force has not just been broken, but been smashed,” he said.
Hite was kicked out of the Army in December.
Hite’s defence lawyer, Squadron Leader Travis Schmidt, said jail time was “off the table” and that his client had been punished by losing her job.
He said her night out drinking and groping men was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” which prompted her to get help for her drinking.
He said she can’t remember the night at all and was “disgusted” and apologetic for her behaviour.
Group Captain Geeves said Hite, who is now unemployed and living at home with her parents, couldn’t afford to pay a fine.
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He said he would normally send gropers to military detention, but couldn’t do that to Hite because she was now a civilian.
He convicted Hite and took no further action, saying: “your behaviour was reprehensible young lady”.
I dont know what this world is coming too..
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