United States v. Keilberg

CourtUnited States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals
DecidedOctober 22, 2025
Docket40601
StatusUnpublished

This text of United States v. Keilberg (United States v. Keilberg) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Keilberg, (afcca 2025).

Opinion

U NITED S TATES A IR F ORCE C OURT OF C RIMINAL APPEALS ________________________

No. ACM 40601 ________________________

UNITED STATES Appellee v. Christian K. KEILBERG Senior Airman (E-4), U.S. Air Force, Appellant ________________________

Appeal from the United States Air Force Trial Judiciary Decided 22 October 2025 ________________________

Military Judge: Charles E. Wiedie, Jr. Sentence: Sentence adjudged 10 October 2023 by GCM convened at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Sentence entered by mili- tary judge on 10 October 2023: Dishonorable discharge, confinement for 24 months, and reduction to E-1. For Appellant: Major Frederick J. Johnson, USAF. For Appellee: Colonel Matthew D. Talcott, USAF; Lieutenant Colonel Jenny A. Liabenow, USAF; Major Vanessa Bairos, USAF; Major Kate E. Lee, USAF; Major Adam M. Love, USAF; Captain Catherine D. Mum- ford, USAF; Mary Ellen Payne, Esquire. Before GRUEN, PERCLE, and MORGAN, Appellate Military Judges. Judge MORGAN delivered the opinion of the court, in which Senior Judge GRUEN and Judge PERCLE joined. ________________________

This is an unpublished opinion and, as such, does not serve as precedent under AFCCA Rule of Practice and Procedure 30.4. ________________________ United States v. Keilberg, No. ACM 40601

MORGAN, Judge: A military judge sitting as a general court-martial convicted Appellant, con- sistent with his pleas and pursuant to a plea agreement, of one specification of attempted sexual assault of a child, and one specification of attempted sexual abuse of a child, both in violation of Article 80, Uniform of Code Military Jus- tice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. § 880.1 The military judge sentenced Appellant to a dishonorable discharge, confinement for 24 months, and reduction to the grade of E-1.2 The convening authority took no action on the findings or the sentence. Appellant raises four issues on appeal, which we have rephrased: (1) whether unreasonable delay in post-trial processing warrants relief; (2) whether the 18 U.S.C. § 922 firearms prohibition is unconstitutional as applied to Appellant; (3) whether Appellant’s plea of guilty was improvident because the providence inquiry did not include a discussion of Appellant’s mental health care; and (4) whether the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) post court-martial presentation of evidence to civilian authorities warrants re- lief.3 With respect to issue (2), we have carefully considered this issue and find Appellant is not entitled to relief. See United States v. Lepore, 81 M.J. 759, 763 (A.F. Ct. Crim. App. 2021) (en banc) (holding a Court of Criminal Appeals lacks the authority to direct modification of the 18 U.S.C. § 922(g) prohibition noted on the staff judge advocate’s indorsement); see also United States v. Johnson, __ M.J. __, No. 24-0004, 2025 CAAF LEXIS 499, at *13–14 (C.A.A.F. 24 Jun. 2025) (holding Courts of Criminal Appeals lack “authority to modify the [18 U.S.C.] § 922 indication” in the entry of judgment); United States v. Vanzant, 84 M.J. 671, 681 (A.F. Ct. Crim. App. 2024) (concluding “[t]he firearms prohi- bition remains a collateral consequence of the conviction, rather than an

1 Unless otherwise noted, all references in this opinion to the UCMJ, Rules for Courts-

Martial, and Military Rules of Evidence (Mil. R. Evid.) are to the Manual for Courts- Martial, United States (2019 ed.). 2 The plea agreement required the military judge impose confinement between 8 and

16 months for the attempted sexual assault of a child specification, and confinement between 4 and 8 months for the attempted sexual abuse of a child, with terms of con- finement to be served consecutively. Consistent with the plea agreement, two addi- tional specifications of attempted sexual assault of a child in violation of Article 80, Uniform of Code Military Justice (UCMJ), 10 U.S.C. § 880, and one specification of indecent language in violation of Article 134, UCMJ, 10 U.S.C. § 934, were withdrawn and dismissed with prejudice to “attach . . . upon final appellate review.” Appellant was credited with 188 days of pretrial confinement credit. 3 Appellant personally raises issues (3) and (4) pursuant to United States v. Grostefon,

12 M.J. 431 (C.M.A. 1982).

2 United States v. Keilberg, No. ACM 40601

element of findings or sentence, and is therefore beyond our authority to re- view”), aff’d, No. 24-0182/AF, 2025 CAAF LEXIS 830 (C.A.A.F. 1 Oct. 2025). As to the remaining issues, we find no error that materially prejudiced Ap- pellant’s substantial rights, and we affirm the findings and sentence.

I. BACKGROUND At the time of his offenses, Appellant was assigned to Joint Base McGuire- Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), New Jersey. His on-line dating application profile accurately identified him as a 31-year-old military member located at JB MDL. On 20 March 2023, through this dating application, Appellant matched with PG, who represented she was 18 years of age. On the same day, PG texted Appellant that she was “about to turn 15 in a couple months.” Thereafter, Ap- pellant believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old girl. Appellant and PG expanded their communications and began communicating through vari- ous messaging platforms. During their communications, Appellant messaged PG, inter alia, that he was interested in “creampies, CNC, taboo roleplay, more gentle stuff too.”4 Appellant later texted, “I’d love to pick you up and see how good your head game is while I drive us around somewhere that I can take my time with you, filling you up,” and he inquired, “[D]on’t you want your Daddy to get you pregnant?” Communications between Appellant and PG continued over a video capable application for five days, until 25 March 2023, wherein, inter alia, Appellant told PG he knew his conduct was wrong and that he harbored concerns PG could be law enforcement, but he nonetheless began making plans to meet her after she assured him she was not a “catfish.” On 25 March 2023, Appellant, inter alia, requested PG “[s]how more of [herself],” “give [him] a show,” and stated, “Good Dad wants to see you.” When PG asked Appellant if he was interested in visiting her house, he replied, “I’m gonna have you on your knees first, show your Dad how much you love being a little slut, what’s the address?” Upon receipt of PG’s address, which was approximately 73 miles from JB MDL, Appellant began driving to meet PG in person. When he arrived, Appel- lant was met not by a 14-year-old PG, but was confronted by the host of a ci- vilian, online streaming channel that conducts online sting-like operations to catch individuals seeking to engage in child sexual assault and abuse. Appel- lant’s arrival and confrontation were recorded and live streamed on the

4 During his plea inquiry, Appellant described a “creampie” as “having unprotected

sex,” and described “CNC” as “aggressive sex.”

3 United States v. Keilberg, No. ACM 40601

Internet, during which Appellant identified himself as an Air Force service- member, admitted he believed PG was 14 years old, that he “wanted to do all kinds of nasty things to her,” and that “some of [his] fantasies involve step- daughter-stepfather relations.” One of the streaming channel members called the local police department, and officers were dispatched to arrest Appellant.

II. DISCUSSION A. Post-Trial Delay 1.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Barker v. Wingo
407 U.S. 514 (Supreme Court, 1972)
United States v. Inabinette
66 M.J. 320 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2008)
United States v. Toohey
63 M.J. 353 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2006)
United States v. Moreno
63 M.J. 129 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2006)
United States v. Negron
60 M.J. 136 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2004)
United States v. Hines
73 M.J. 119 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2014)
United States v. Finch
73 M.J. 144 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2014)
United States v. Moon
73 M.J. 382 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2014)
United States v. Blouin
74 M.J. 247 (Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, 2015)
United States v. Grostefon
12 M.J. 431 (United States Court of Military Appeals, 1982)
United States v. Arnold
40 M.J. 744 (U S Air Force Court of Military Review, 1994)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
United States v. Keilberg, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-keilberg-afcca-2025.