14 DAY TRIAL // The US Department of Defense is currently running an investigation into a private Facebook group where hundreds of Marines were spreading naked photos of female soldiers and veterans.
Most of the nude pics were shared in the group without the women giving their consent or even knowing about what was happening, reveals the Center for Investigative Reporting.
It seems that the members of the group used the photos to identify more than two dozen women by full name, rank, and military duty. The group has a lot of members, particularly soldiers in the US and UK, members of the Marine Corps, Navy Corpsman and Royal Marines.
An anonymous vet and member of the group revealed on Reddit that the group had become a place where "stalker-like" photos were the norm, where revenge porn and hate speech were at home.
It is not clear at this point whether the abusive page has been wiped off Facebook, but one thing is certain - photos of one woman, which had previously appeared in the group, were leaked two weeks after the group was allegedly closed. Since the group was set to secret, it can't be found via Facebook's search.
Members are being discharged
The effects of the incident are already being felt by members. It seems like offenders have already been discharged as a result of the investigation. Actions of those involved, Sergeant Major Ronald Green said, contradict "core values" of the military.
"We need to be brutally honest with ourselves and each other: This behavior hurts fellow Marines, family members, and civilians. It is a direct attack on our ethos and legacy," Green told the Center for Investigative Reporting.
Sexual harassment allegations in the military have been around for years and similar groups have apparently been around for years on Facebook. The fact that they're finally doing something about this is great news.