Fort Meade, Md. ? A military jury on Thursday convicted an Army dog handler of using his animal to torment a prisoner at Abu Ghraib.

Sgt. Santos A. Cardona is the 11th soldier convicted of crimes stemming from the abuse of inmates at the prison in late 2003 and early 2004.

Cardona, 32, of Fullerton, Calif., was convicted of dereliction of duty and aggravated assault for allowing his dog to bark within inches of a prisoner’s face.

But the panel of four officers and three enlisted soldiers acquitted Cardona of some of the most serious charges he faced, including unlawfully having his dog bite an inmate and conspiring with another dog handler to frighten prisoners into soiling themselves.

Cardona, a 12 1/2-year veteran, stood at attention in his green dress uniform as the verdict was read. He faces a maximum penalty of 3 1/2 years.

The jury began deliberating his sentence Thursday and will resume today. Prosecutors asked that he receive a year in prison and a bad conduct discharge; the defense called for no prison time and a return to duty.

Army Sgt. Santos A. Cardona leaves the magistrate court in Ft. Meade, Md., Monday, May 22, 2006, after a court martial hearing accusing Cardona of abusing Iraqi prisoners with his Belgian shepherd dog, Duco. Cardona, 32, of Fullerton, Calif., was convicted of dereliction of duty and aggravated assault for allowing his dog to bark within inches of a prisoner's face.

Prosecutors portrayed Cardona as part of a small group of corrupt soldiers who enjoyed tormenting prisoners.

“This is all for their amusement,” Maj. Christopher Graveline said in closing arguments.

But Cardona’s civilian defense attorney, Harvey J. Volzer, said Cardona did what his training and senior officers demanded: protect fellow soldiers and scare inmates.