Four US Navy sailors await court-martial ruling after being accused of group sex with underage girl, recording child porn

At least four United States Navy sailors have been accused of allegedly engaging in group sex with a girl under the age of 15 and then recording the entire act while they were on a base in Washington. Reports state that the sailors are awaiting a hearing to determine if they will be court-martialed. 

All the four sailors are reportedly Petty Officers Third Class and have been accused of taking pictures and videos of their encounter with the minor, in the barracks at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor on September 19, 2017, according to the Daily Mail.

 

The accused are now reportedly facing an Article 32 hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to bring formal military charges against them. Out of the four accused, two of the sailors are facing production of child pornography charges. None of the accused sailors have been named.

A spokesperson for Submarine Force US Pacific Fleet, Commander Corey Barker, said: "There is no allegation of rape or the use force in the incident."

 

Baker added that the alleged incident was uncovered after an anonymous tip was sent to the base authorities on September 26 last year. Shortly after the tip, the case was immediately taken up by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).

"The Navy takes allegations of misconduct seriously and, upon learning of this, immediately initiated a criminal investigation into the matter," Baker added.

 

Reports state that the sailors did not know the identity of the girl, who was described as "a child who had attained the age of 12 years but had not attained the age of 16 years." It is not yet clear how did the alleged victim in the case gained access to the naval base, and an investigation is ongoing.

All the four accused are at the Bangor naval base, where they are awaiting their Article 32 hearing. The hearing is set to take place in two weeks, according to reports.