The U.S. Naval Criminal Investigation Service has launched an inquiry after some of the Navy's first female submariners were secretly videotaped while undressing and showering, service officials confirmed Wednesday. In 2009, women were given permission to serve abroad U.S. submarines for the first time in Navy history.
The unidentified women were recorded aboard the ballistic missile submarine USS Wyoming by a 24-year old male sailor, identified only by his rank of second class petty officer, Navy Times reported. The suspect allegedly filmed and circulated the videos among the service's senior leaders, according to a Nov. 14 incident report.
"The Navy is aware of an allegation of alleged criminal activity onboard USS Wyoming home ported at Kings Bay. The Navy and NCIS are investigating the matter, and unfortunately further details are not available at this time due to the ongoing investigation," said Lt. Leslie Hubbell, a spokeswoman for Submarine Group Ten, in a written statement.
"If the allegations prove to be factual, the Navy will ensure individuals involved are held accountable for their actions," he said.
The allegations emerged last month after an officer serving on another submarine received the inappropriate videos, spanning a one year period, which reportedly show at least three female officers while showering or undressing, according to a source who has spoken to one of the alleged victims, Fox News reported.
One Navy official who did not wish to be identified expressed profound disappointment at the news.
"Incidents like this show we are not where we want to be. This is the stuff we need to flush out to make sure it doesn't happen again," the Navy official told Military.com.
Another Navy submarine officer, who asked for his name not be published, also said he had been afraid that a situation like this might occur. "It sucks. It was bound to happen," he told Military.com.
Recently, an epidemic of sexual assault and rape allegations have plagued the U.S. military, with the organization's treatment of the victims receiving wide criticism, according to International Business Times.
One out of three women in the armed forces has suffered a sexual assault, which is twice the rate for American civilian women, according to Defense Department research.
Earlier this week, a former U.S. Air Force chief prosecutor told Yahoo News that he was "outraged" by the military's handling of sexual assault cases, following the controversial decision of an Air Force general to overturn a sexual assault conviction against a leading officer.
Meanwhile the USS Wyoming, in service since 1996, is an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine home ported at Kings Bay, Georgia. The Wyoming was one of the first submarines to bring women on board in 2011, adding female supply officers to the crew, according to Stars and Stripes. In 2015, female officers are scheduled to begin serving aboard U.S. fast-attack subs.
