A military jury has found a U.S. Marine instructor guilty of abusing 23 recruits at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and Camp Pendleton, after two hours of deliberating on Thursday.

U.S. Marine Sgt. Jerrod Glass, 25, allegedly kicked, punched and abused in different ways the recruits. On Wednesday, a court-martial convicted Glass on one count of assault, two counts of cruelty and maltreatment and violating orders and three counts of destroying recruits’ private property.

He could have received nine years and a half in the brig and a dishonorable discharge.

Problems started when Glass hit Kyle Leonard, a 19-year-old recruit with a tent pole on the head, because he forgot the combination of his locker.

Initially prosecutors said that the instructor should spend two years in the brig and receive a bad-conduct discharge.

"You need to send the message this is not tolerated," Marine Capt. Brent Sticker told jurors, according to Associated Press.

Glass’ attorney recommended the jurors to consider his client’s previous clean record and give him a sentence of 60 days of restricted duty and a reduction to a rank, whatever that might be.

"There's ways to deal with Sgt. Glass without throwing him out. This wasn't meaningless, senseless violence. It was done with the intent to assist (recruits)," Capt. Greg Jensen said.

 Glass and another drill instructor used to line up the recruits after their meals and force them to drink liters of water until they would vomit, according to several witnesses who testified.

Glass had been a drill instructor at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego less than a year when his misconduct started in December. He was relieved of his duty in February.

Capt. Patrick J. Callahan, another Glass’ attorney said that they would file an appeal in which they would ask a clemency request to release him from the brig and avoid his discharge.

"He took it very hard. He loves the Marine Corps. Pretty much his entire adult life has been in the Marine Corps," Callahan told the Associated Press.

Glass graduated at the top of his class and volunteered for two tours in Iraq before becoming a drill instructor. Hi behavior has been nothing but exemplary, according to both the defense and prosecution.

"This whole thing is ridiculous. Sgt. Glass thought of us as his own kids," said Pfc. Bradley Montgomery, 20, one of the recruits in Glass’s platoon referring to the harsh sentence.

Another three drill instructors are charged with abusing recruits. Sgt. Robert C. Hankins and Sgt. Brian M. Wendel are facing special courts-martial on separate charges and Sgt. Joseph Villagomez received administrative punishment.