By Aaron Miller-
The US Defense Department have revealed that dozens of US Marines have shared “hundreds – possibly thousands” of naked photos of female recruits, veterans, and other women on a secret Facebook page.
Most of the women were unaware they had been photographed naked, causing the uproar among them and their family members, the eye of media.com have heard.
The disgraceful conduct of the ‘Marines United’ page was revealed by the War Horse, an NGO news organisation run by Marine veteran Thomas Brennan. Within a day of Brennan getting in touch with the Marine Corps on January 30, the social media accounts involved in the sharing were removed by Facebook and Google at the Corps’ request.
The photographs shared on a page entitled ‘Marines United’ in a shameful post that brings the integrity and morality of the marine to new lows. The offence of posting an explicit photo of another person falls foul of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and a Marine who directly participates in encourages or condones such actions could be subjected to criminal proceedings or punitive administrative actions.
Dozens of active-duty women, officers, and enlisted service members were identified by their rank, full name, and location in the photographs posted on the Facebook page, according to CIR. Some containing active duty and veteran women were also posted and linked through a Google Drive link, the report said.
According to CIR reports, a female corporal pictured in uniform was followed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina by a fellow Marine who secretly photographed her. Lewd comments accompanied the picture which was posted to the ‘Marines United’ page.
“These negative behaviours are absolutely contrary to what we represent,” Sergeant Major Ronald L. Green, the top enlisted man in the Marine Corps, said in response to the CIR report, as quoted by AP.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) investigating the incident said in a statement“We are thankful that Thomas Brennan, a Marine veteran, notified the Marine Corps and NCIS about what he witnessed on the ‘Marines United’ page,” Marine Corps spokesman Captain Ryan E. Alvis said, as quoted by AP. “It allowed us to take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims,” he added.
“The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website,” according to Alvis adding “this behaviour destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual.” His comments were echoed by representative Adam Smith, a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, has called the online behaviour “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.
According to an annual report released by the Pentagon in May of 2016, the US military received a total of 6,083 reports of sexual assault in 2015, while noting that such crimes are underreported.