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| The USS Henry M. Jackson moors at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in Washington. Last month, four petty officers faced charges for sex crimes involving an underage girl while on the Kitsap-Bangor base in September, 2017. |
By Ray Downs, UPI
Four Navy petty officers based in the state of Washington have been charged with sex crimes involving a child.
The four sailors are accused of having group sex with a girl under the age of 16 but older than 12. The alleged incident occurred Sept. 17, 2017, in the barracks of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, located near Seattle, the Navy Times reported.
According to charge sheets, the officers engaged in sex crimes with the girl in a room "with the door open, and with open recording of the group sex using photography and video equipment."
An anonymous report of an unauthorized female was made on Sept. 26, 2017, and Submarine Group Nine spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Mike Smith said an investigation was "immediately initiated" by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which concluded its probe.
"The U.S. Navy holds its personnel to the highest standards of conduct," Smith said, according to the Kitsap Sun. "We are committed to holding our personnel accountable for their actions and preserving good order and discipline throughout the fleet."
The sailors, whose names have not been released by the Navy, appeared for an Article 32 hearing on Sept. 24 to decide if their charges will proceed to a court-martial.
That process generally takes three to four weeks, Smith said.
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