Marines investigated for nude photos
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is investigating reports that some Marines used a secret Facebook page to share naked photographs of female Marines, veterans and other women, some of which were taken without their knowledge.
The photographs were shared on the Facebook page “Marines United,” which had a membership of active-duty and retired male Marines, Navy Corpsmen and British Royal Marines. Along with identified female military members were photographs of unidentifiable women in various stages of undress, and included obscene comments about some of the women, officials said.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating. The photographs have been taken down, officials said.
Marine Corps commandant Gen. Robert Neller on Sunday refused to comment directly about the ongoing investigation. “For anyone to target one of our Marines, online or otherwise, in an inappropriate manner, is distasteful and shows an absence of respect,” Neller said in a statement.
It was not immediately known how many active-duty Marines and other service members were involved or are under investigation. A Marine Corps official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss personnel matters by name, said at least one government contractor had been removed from his job after he posted a link to the photographs.
Sgt. Maj. Ronald Green, the top enlisted man in the Marine Corps, said in response to the report: “These negative behaviors are absolutely contrary to what we represent.”
The Center for Investigative Reporting first reported the probe. The activity was revealed by The War Horse, a nonprofit news organization run by Marine veteran Thomas Brennan.
“We are thankful that Thomas Brennan, a Marine veteran, notified the Marine Corps and [the Naval Criminal Investigative Service] about what he witnessed on the ‘Marines United’ page,” Marine Corps spokesman Capt. Ryan Alvis said. “It allowed us to take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims.”
The center’s report said more than two dozen active-duty women, officers and enlisted, were identified by their rank, full name and location in the photographs on the Facebook page, along with other photographs that were posted and linked using Google Drive.
The social media accounts behind the sharing have been deleted by Facebook and Google at the Marine Corps’ request.
An internal Marine Corps document obtained by The Associated Press says a former Marine maintained the Google Drive account, which had a following of 30,000.
A Marine proven to have posted an explicit photo of another person could potentially be charged with violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the internal document stated. A Marine who directly participates in, encourages or condones such actions could also be subjected to criminal proceedings or adverse administrative actions, according to the document.
“The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website,” Alvis said. “This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual.”
Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said such revelations are troubling and that he expects a full investigation by the Marine Corps.
“Degrading behavior of this kind is entirely unacceptable. They and the nation deserve better,” Thornberry said.
Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking Democrat on the committee, called the online behavior “degrading, dangerous and completely unacceptable.”
“The military men and women who proudly volunteer to serve their country should not have to deal with this kind of reprehensible conduct,” Smith said.