A U.S. Navy officer was charged with espionage and involvement with prostitution Friday in a case in which military prosecutors imposed tight secrecy.
Citing unnamed sources, USNI News on Sunday identified the man charged as Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin, a naval flight officer. Lin, a signals intelligence specialist who served on the Navy’s Lockheed Martin E-P3E Aries II reconnaissance aircraft, among the Navy’s most sensitive intelligence gathering aircraft, is accused of passing secrets to China, the outlet reported.
Lin is a Taiwanese national whose family moved to the United States.
The Navy issued charges against Lin in a preliminary hearing in Norfolk, Va., on Friday. He is accused of communicating classified information “with intent or reason to believe it would be used to the advantage of a foreign nation,” hiring a prostitute, committing adultery, making false statements, and not disclosing foreign travel.
In an unusual step, Lin’s name was redacted “out of consideration for the service member’s privacy,” said Lt. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a Navy spokesman.
Lin is charged in what is known as an “Article 32” case.
