Task force to investigate nude photos of Marines
General asks female victims to come forward to aid in probe
WASHINGTON — Fewer than 10 women victims have come forward so far in the investigation into nude photos of female service members that were posted online without their permission, the top Marine general said Friday, when he pleaded with female Marines to “trust us” and reach out to make complaints or seek help.
“I need their help,” said Gen. Robert Neller, the Marine commandant. “I’m going to ask them to trust us. I understand why that might be a bit of a reach for them right now. But I can’t fix this . ... The only way there is going to be accountability in this is somebody comes forward and tells us what happened to them.”
Former and current female Marines have said their photographs and those of women in other services were shared on social media without their consent. The other military services say that they are now looking into the matter to see if their service members are involved, but they say so far no other victims have come forward.
Nude photographs of female Marines and other women were shared on the Facebook page “Marines United,” and the accompanying posts included obscene and threatening comments.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service launched an investigation and is urging victims of the photo-sharing to come forward. NCIS says it has received numerous tips.
Speaking to Pentagon reporters, Neller expressed frustration and disgust at the nude-photo sharing.
He has created a task force to look at the scope of the problem and any underlying issues and to develop plans for any corrective actions, policy changes or additional training that may be needed.
He said the controversy has an effect on the entire Marine Corps and the investigation must be done carefully.
“We don’t want to be in a hurry. We want to make sure we’re thorough and we’re within the law,” Neller told a Pentagon news conference.
Separately, officials said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis will meet with military and civilian officials in coming days about the reports.
Mattis also condemned the actions.
“The purported actions of civilian and military personnel on social media websites, including some associated with the Marines United group and possibly others, represent egregious violations of the fundamental values we uphold at the Department of Defense,” Mattis said in a written statement.
Active-duty Marine Marisa Woytek and former Marine Erika Butner appeared at a news conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday to applaud the investigation. Butner said she contacted investigators in January and told them there was an online storage drive that contained “indecent photos of women from all military services, organized by name, rank and even where they were stationed.”