The military’s investigation into the sharing of nude photos of female service members has expanded to include a number of gay pornography websites that exist with photos of men in military uniforms taking part in sex acts, according to a new report.
The Pentagon, USA Today reported on Friday, has created a joint military task force to handle the growing issue, which has expanded from just the Marine Corps to the Navy, Army, Coast Guard and Air Force. Part of that investigation will include determining whether the men in uniforms are actual service members or just in costume. If the individual is on active-duty, that person could be found in violation of military law.
The probe will also look into whether the men involved consented to the images being shared on the Tumblr porn sites, the report said.
Female sailors posted at more than a dozen Naval commands were targeted by online users looking for nude photos the women may have sent to significant others back home or within the military, according to a report published Tuesday evening. Sailors or those close to command personnel are the suspected culprits behind the photo-snatching. The images were then posted to various online boards where active and retired service members can share the naked photos with one another at the expense of the victims. Some of the sites even divide photos by name and where the woman is or was based.
The command locations affected by the breach include carriers Eisenhower, Truman, Roosevelt and Reagan; the destroyer Cole; Naval Base San Diego, Naval Station Norfolk, Naval Air Stations Oceana, North Island and Pensacola; the hospital ship Mercy, Walter Reed Medical Center; and the U.S. Naval Academy, according to Navy Times’ investigation.
The newest findings come two weeks after a 30,000-member Facebook page was found to be the breeding ground for pictures of naked female servicemembers, some of those Marines have created a new page and continued sharing the images.
“Marines United” was shut down shortly after the incident was reported last Saturday, but since then “Marines United 2.0” (MU2.0) was created and houses the photos. The new page has already added 2,300 members as of last Thursday, despite Marine Commandant Gen. Robert Neller’s warning people not to engage in this sort of activity.
The group is sharing photos that have been uploaded to the original page to DropBox, a photo-storing website, as well as videos from porn sites. Some of the page’s members are sharing photos and videos while provoking the military leaders who told them to stop.
While the actions are investigated, it is unclear that members have the legal ability to post such photos.
Members have posted personal information about the women in the photos and even called on others to harass them could constitute breaking “revenge porn” laws in 30 states. In addition, Article 120c of the Uniform Code of Military Justice strongly prohibits photographing and recording “another person’s private area without the person’s consent,” and broadcasting or distributing that material.
Another report released last Tuesday found there are other pages, like AnonIB, where male members from every other branch of the military can request photos of women, even by name and where they are currently stationed.
“This scandal is out of control and the Department of Defense needs to get a handle on it immediately,” Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., told USA TODAY. “Congress needs to demand accountability from the chain of command as to how so many service members, both women and men now, could be so easily exploited. Commanders have told us for decades that they can handle these issues, clearly they cannot, and Congress should step up and do its job and bring professionalism and accountability to the military justice system that has ignored predators for far too long.”
