The U.S. Department of Defense is investigating a new online scandal: a secret Facebook group where hundreds of marines shared nude photos of female service members and veterans.
The secret group, "Marines United," featured hundreds of photos and, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting in conjunction with nonprofit military news site The War Horse, at least two dozen of the women have been identified, along with their rank and where they're currently stationed.
The photos, according to the report, were also accompanied by lewd and offensive comments, a troubling discovery in the wake of the Marine Corps' integration of women into basic training courses.
While two women contacted by War Horse said the photos may have been leaked by former partners, there is plenty of concern about the source of some of the photos. One woman whose photos appeared on the group appears to have been stalked by another marine while at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
Most of the members of the Facebook group's 30,000 members are U.S. marines, Marine Corps veterans and British Royal Marines, according to The Marine Corp Times. Thomas Brennan, who broke the story for War Horse, has reportedly received threats in the wake of his report.
Sergeant Major Ronald L. Green told CBS News, “There is no place for this type of demeaning or degrading behavior in our Corps."
Additionally, public affairs officer Captain Ryan Alvis told the network:
“The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in a closed website. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust, and degrades the individual. The Marine Corps does not condone this sort of behavior, which undermines our core values."
The story is another black eye for the Marine Corps, which has faced allegations and stories of sexual assault and harassment for years, including a similar incident involving a Facebook group in 2013.
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