US Army reservist Lynndie England, who was pictured holding a naked Iraqi on a leash in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal, pleaded guilty to seven charges of abuse today.
Under a plea deal, Pfc. England, 22, could face a maximum sentence of 11 years, according to her lawyer, Capt. Jonathan Crisp.
Two of the nine charges against her were dropped. A military court in Fort Hood, Texas, is expected to sentence her later this week.
Pfc. England, 22, became the face of the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal by posing in some of the most inflammatory photos from the prison, which embarrassed the military and touched off an international furore.
She was photographed holding a naked detainee on a leash and pointing at the genitals of a naked male prisoner while smiling and smoking a cigarette. She also posed beside naked prisoners in a human pyramid.
The Pentagon has cleared all but one of the top five commanders at Abu Ghraib of any wrongdoing, despite concern that a drive to squeeze information out of detainees initiated at a high level created the atmosphere in which the abuses could occur.
One commander, Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski, was relieved of her command and given a written reprimand.
England could face a maximum sentence of 11 years, down from 16 1/2 years but Crisp said he hoped she would receive a lesser punishment after the court hears evidence about her mental deficiencies.
"Justice is being done based on the evidence that has been brought forward at this point," he said. "The government has certainly been more amenable as of late than they were initially. I think they recognize her ultimate role in this is not what it was initially thought to be. She was a pawn."