Elder Fernandes, 23, was found hanged on Tuesday – more than a week after he disappeared in Texas, the Army said.

Before his disappearance, the Army revealed that Fernandes had reported alleged sexual harassment and it was being investigated.

As Fernandes became the 12th Fort Hood soldier to turn up dead this year, his family attorney, Natalie Kwam, alleged that he struggled after reporting he was inappropriately touched by a male superior in May.

"He was humiliated, he was embarrassed, he couldn't even tell his mom. He didn't want to tell anyone," Kwam told The Enterprise on Wednesday.

"He was afraid. He was ashamed by this."

The news of Fernandes' death came as:

His mother Ailina Fernandes pleaded with the public to help her find her missing son

Fernandes had reported instances of sexual abuse at the scandal-hit military base

Cole Jakob Acton, 22, was hit by a car and killed while directing traffic near Fort Hood

National Guard soldier Sgt Bradley Moore died while conducting land navigation training

Brandon Michael Oliveras was arrested and charged with murder in the shooting death of Fort Hood soldier Pvt First Class Brandon Rosecrans

Kwam alleged that after reporting the incident, Fernandes was transferred to another unit – and then was bullied, hazed, and harassed as word spread.

"Elder signed up to serve our country, he did not sign up to be sexually assaulted by his sergeant, and then bullied and hazed for reporting it!" the soldier's aunt, Isabel Neves Fernandes, wrote in a Facebook post the day he was found.