Marines Shared Explicit Nude Photos Of Servicewomen On Web: Report

Military officials are investigating allegations that a number of explicit photos of current and former female service members were shared on social media by members of the Marine Corps.

The photos were shared on a private Facebook page called "Marines United," which has nearly 30,000 followers, according to The War Horse, which first reported on the news and published it through the website Reveal. According to the investigative report, dozens of now-deleted Google Drive folders linked to from the page contained nude photographs of women, their names and their military branches.

"The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in Marines United, a closed website. This behavior destroys morale, erodes trust and degrades the individual," the Marine Corps said in a statement. "The Marine Corps does not condone this sort of behavior, which undermines its core values. As General Neller said in his recent Message to the Force, the Marine Corps’ success in battle depends on trust, mutual respect and teamwork."

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating "those who are posting explicit photos without the permission of the person in the photos, which is potentially a felony," Ed Buice, a public affairs officer for the NCIS, said in an emailed statement to Patch.

"Beyond that, NCIS does not discuss the details of ongoing investigations," he said.

The Google Drive folder has been removed at the request of the military, a US defense official told CNN.

It is unclear how many Marines are involved in the alleged photo sharing. The investigative report published on Reveal says service members who participated are stationed across the world. The Marine who initially posted the link to the Google Drive folder on Facebook has been fired from his position as a government subcontractor. At least one other Marine who shot nude photos of a female service member has been fired.

Below is the full statement issued by the Marine Corps:

The Marine Corps is deeply concerned about allegations regarding the derogatory online comments and sharing of salacious photographs in Marines United, 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 its core values. As General Neller said in his recent Message to the Force, the Marine Corps’ success in battle depends on trust, mutual respect and teamwork.

The Marine Corps takes every allegation of misconduct seriously. Allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated and handled at the appropriate judicial or administrative forum. A Marine could potentially be charged for violating Article 133 (for officers) or Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). If a Marine shared a photo of another person that was taken without that person’s consent and under circumstances in which that other person had a reasonable expectation of privacy, the Marine may have violated Article 120c, UCMJ, for broadcasting or distribution of an indecent visual recording. A Marine who directly participates in, encourages, or condones such actions could also be subjected to criminal proceedings or adverse administrative actions.

Service members and civilians can report a crime or pass information on Marines United to NCIS via text, the web. All of these methods offer service members and civilians a safe, discreet, and anonymous option to report criminal and force protection threats within the USN and USMC: http://www.ncis.navy.mil/Conta... or 1-877-579-3648.

If a Marine believes he/she is a victim of a crime and wants to maintain privacy, he/she may reach out to the chaplain or a Victim Legal Counsel.

Services available to a Marine who is affected by Marines United, to include: chaplains, Victim Legal Counsel, Behavioral Health Counselors, Sexual Assault Response Coordinators, Sexual Assault Victim Advocates, Chain of Command, NCIS, Local Law Enforcement, Inspector General, Equal Opportunity Advisors, Victim Witness Assistant Coordinators, and Military OneSource: http://www.militaryonesource.mil, 1-800-342-9647

• Read the full investigative report here.

This report will be updated.

Image Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images News/Getty Images