The U. Marine Corps is investigating a veteran's allegations that military personnel and other veterans distributed nude photos of female colleagues and other women as part of a social media network that promotes sexual violence. The revelation was first uncovered by a decorated combat veteran's non-profit news site and reported Saturday by the Center for Investigative Reporting. Clark Carpenter, a Marine Corps spokesman, confirmed that an investigation is underway, Marine Corps Times reported, but he said military officials were uncertain exactly how many personnel were involved.
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The U. Department of Defense is investigating hundreds of Marines who used social media to solicit and share hundreds — possibly thousands — of naked photographs of female service members and veterans. Since Jan. In one instance, a female corporal in uniform was followed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, by a fellow Marine, who surreptitiously photographed her as she picked up her gear. Those photographs were posted on the Facebook group Marines United, which has nearly 30, followers, drawing dozens of obscene comments. And throat. And ears. Both of them.
Thomas James Brennan
Christopher Harrison said Monday. Harrison and Air Force Maj. Carla Gleason, a spokeswoman for the Pentagon, confirmed the new allegations span beyond the Marine Corps and could include all of the military services. They would not say Monday whether active-duty or reserve servicemembers were suspected of distributing the content, which was made illegal in December as part of the National Defense Authorization Act. But the pace at which social media platforms expand and evolve and the anonymity with which some of them are able to operate online can make it difficult for authorities to detect such harassment or to identify the victims, she said. In the new allegations, Vice reported most of the images in the folder show women in military clothing. A few are of servicemembers fully clothed, in apparent attempt to shame or discredit them. Some of the photos had been previously shared in other online groups while others appear to be new, Vice reported. Dropbox said in a statement that the link to the photographs had been removed and banned from its file sharing service.
It was a little past ten o'clock, and the weather outside was clear and gusty, typical of winters among the sand pines of coastal North Carolina. The woman—call her Judy—was checking into a new unit. She'd come to CIF to collect her standard issue of combat equipment. While Judy stood among the rows of stacked body armor, Kevlar helmets, and camouflage hiking packs, an infantryman named Brenden McDonel, who was standing a few places behind her in line, pulled out his phone and started surreptitiously taking her photograph. McDonel didn't know Judy, but that didn't keep him from posting the pictures to a private Facebook group called Marines United. Within minutes of that first post, dozens of members of Marines United chimed in. Others suggested sexual acts. And throat.