Nude Photo Scandal Shakes Marine Corps

The Marine Corps has been shaken by a scandal involving photos of naked and scantily clad servicewomen, at least some of which were apparently shared without consent. The photos, along with obscene comments, were found on a private Facebook page called Marines United, which included many active-duty and retired Marines in its 30,000 members, the Center for Investigative Reporting reports. The Marine Corps thanked report author Thomas Brennan, a Marine vet and founder of the War Horse news organization, for alerting them and NCIS to the activity, allowing them to "take immediate action to have the explicit photos taken down and to prepare to support potential victims," the AP reports.

Some of the women in the photos are identified by their names and stations, which authorities warn could leave them open to blackmail. Some of the women Brennan spoke to believed the photos were shared by vengeful ex-partners, while one says the photos appeared online after she was stalked at Camp LeJeune. The Marine Corps says the behavior is "deeply concerning" and it is investigating how many Marines were involved. Brennan says he is now receiving threats. "It has been suggested that my wife should be raped as a result of this, and people are openly suggesting I should be killed," he tells the Marine Corps Times. "Can you imagine being one of the victims?" (More Marine Corps stories.)