Thirteen Canadian Forces members were convicted of sexual offences in 2003 and 2004, but less than half have been kicked out of the military, the Department of National Defence has disclosed.

Of the 13 soldiers convicted by courts martial in those two years, only four were let go by the military, including a former Edmonton-based soldier who was caught with more than 100 child pornography images on a barracks computer, DND officials say.

The military does not automatically discharge soldiers convicted of sex crimes. Nor does it impose an absolute ban on recruiting sex offenders, although the military's general policy states that those who have engaged in sexual misconduct "shall not normally" be hired.

Six of the soldiers convicted of sex assaults were allowed to remain in the military, subject to career counselling and close supervision, said DND spokesman John Morris. "It should be noted that ... all were convicted of what are considered to be very minor offences."

The fate of the other three convicted of sexual assault has yet to be determined. "We take all sex-related offences seriously and to this end we pursue disciplinary and administrative action that is appropriate to the gravity of the offence in question," explained Col. Dominic McAlea of the office of the Judge Advocate General.

But Conservative defence critic Gordon O'Connor said offenders convicted of all but the most minor sexual offences should be ejected from the ranks as a matter of course. "Military people who are found guilty of this ... are out, and I don't care if it's war or peace," argued the retired brigadier- general, who spent 32 years in the Canadian Forces.

Mr. O'Connor does not accept the rationale that the professional skills or expertise of some sex offenders might be so indispensable that they should be retained.

"I can tell you right now there isn't a skill in the entire armed forces that is that key that we have to have sex offenders," he insisted. "Nobody is that valuable. The military is set up so that ... everyone can be replaced in every operation."

The Department of National Defence has never disclosed how many sex offenders it counts among its 62,000 regular forces, and 24,000 reserve forces.

Canadians should not be surprised to find convicted sex offenders within the military, said Lt.-Col. Rod Lander, the deputy provost marshal for military police services.

"The Canadian Forces are a reflection of Canadian society as a whole, so if you have sex offenders in Canadian society you are going to have sex offenders in the Canadian Forces," he explained.

Lt.-Col. Lander said he does not know how many convicted offenders are kicked out, but said he believes "a large percentage of those people who are convicted of at least the most serious offences are subsequently released."

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