A Fort Carson special forces medic accused of offering to pay young women and girls to watch him masturbate on 15 separate occasions pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of criminal attempt to commit obscenity.

According to the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Duston Ridner, 43, admitted to the solicitations, which were reported by eight girls and seven women from April 28 to May 22.

If a judge accepts the plea, Ridner will be sentenced at the El Paso County courthouse on Oct. 30.The plea agreement requires him to register as a sex offender and receive intensive supervised probation, records show. Jail time is not part of the plea agreement.

Ridner, a Sgt. 1st Class assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group, was arrested May 22 on suspicion of obscenity, a felony, and attempted indecent exposure and soliciting prostitution, both misdemeanors.

Ridner has been in the Army for 12 years and has been awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star, and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Police searched the city for three weeks in search of a suspect and a red pickup truck, as 13 reports from females ranging in age from 12 to 22 cropped up of a man approaching them and offering them $100 to watch him masturbate. Many of the victims described him as being friendly and polite.

According to Fort Carson spokeswoman Dani Johnson, the 10th Special Forces Group leadership is “looking into their options” for Ridner.

“Since he just entered his plea today, we will let the Colorado Springs part of it finish,” she said. “Leadership won’t make a decision today.”

Ridner will not be tried in the military court system, she said, because doing so would constitute double jeopardy.

The last Fort Carson solider to draw headlines for sex offenses, former 1st Lt. Aaron Lucas, was sentenced to prison in February for sexually assaulting several girls between the ages of 4 and 10 in El Paso County. He was discharged as soon as was sentenced, Johnson said.

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Duston Ridner will be sentenced at the El Paso County courthouse on Oct. 30 and his plea agreement requires him to register as a sex offender and receive intensive supervised probation, records show. (Courtesy CSPD)