Marine is accused of sexually assaulting a minor after a 14-year-old woman was present in a dormitory at California’s Camp Pendleton barracks after her household accused officers of ‘sweeping it under the rug’
A U.S. Marine detained final month after superiors found a then-missing teenager in his barracks has been charged with assaulting a minor — although officers are nonetheless ready to establish the soldier till a preliminary listening to or a court-martial.
Aired in an replace to the company’s inside arm on Saturday, the assertion declined to reveal the unnamed marine’s age or rank, however revealed he additionally faces one other, “unrelated” cost of violating regulation. ‘freedom restrictions’.
The time period refers to provisions that navy superiors frequently implement to stop hurt to others wherever troopers are stationed — together with usually accepted rules akin to no drug use, no public drunkenness, and no combating.
Also banned are situations of sexual assault — one thing the household of the 14-year-old who discovered on the California Marine base camp stated she was a sufferer of after she went lacking 18 days earlier.
Also unnamed, the woman went lacking on June 10 — and members of her household have since claimed she was bought as a intercourse slave to a Marine stationed on the base, San Diego County’s Camp Pendleton.
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The Marine — who officers say won’t be named till an upcoming preliminary listening to or a attainable court-martial — will probably be introduced in for questioning on July 2 earlier than being launched. He has since been charged with assaulting a minor
The allegations relate to a then-missing woman, 14, discovered on the Camp Pendelton base in California in June, a number of weeks after she went lacking. Members of her household have since claimed she was bought as a intercourse slave to a Marine stationed on the base
Those claims aired lower than every week in the past, paving the way in which for 1st Marine Logistics Group’s considerably imprecise assertion over the weekend.
“Military prosecutors have charged the Marine with allegations of sexual assault of a minor and violation of the restraining order from an earlier, unrelated case,” stated Captain Charles Palmer, a spokesman for the group, which is stationed at Camp Pendleton.
Palmer additional revealed how he and Marine Brass will establish the person, saying his identify won’t be launched to the general public till one of many expenses is court-martialed or his identify is placed on file throughout a preliminary listening to.
The listening to, the senior officer added, is scheduled for subsequent Thursday, the place officers will focus on the 2 expenses with the soldier current.
Palmer beforehand confirmed that the Marine in query was the identical man seen in a video posted to social media exhibiting a soldier being led away by navy police exterior one of many camp’s barracks on July 2.
That video was recorded lower than 4 days after the unnamed woman was present in one of many barracks, prompting the present investigation.
“After the preliminary hearing, the warrant will review all charges and evidence to determine whether the case should be tried by court-martial,” Palmer added.
“To protect the integrity of the ongoing research and the rights of the subject, further information is not available until this decision is made.
“As a reminder, allegations remain allegations and all military personnel are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.”
The woman’s aunt, Casaundra Perez, instructed authorities her niece — who she says has a studying incapacity — was bought to the Marine for intercourse and that alleged officers could have been engaged on a cover-up.
Speaking to NBC San Diego, Perez known as on fellow service members to return ahead and shout out what occurred on the bottom
The replace got here greater than a month away from the invention by officers of the then-missing 14-year-old, who was discovered by navy police through the day in an unspecified barracks on June 28.
The replace got here greater than a month away from the invention by officers of the then-missing 14-year-old, who was discovered by navy police through the day in an unspecified barracks on June 28.
About two weeks earlier, her grandmother, the woman’s authorized guardian, reported her lacking and instructed police within the LA-San Diego district that she had run away 4 days earlier, on June 9.
After she was discovered, detectives from the San Diego Sheriff’s Office interviewed her and provided her household help companies, earlier than lastly returning her to her grandmother.
The woman was not hospitalized, officers stated, nevertheless it was additionally not specified if she suffered any accidents.
The Marine was then apprehended by navy police a couple of days later, earlier than being briefly questioned and detained, and finally launched.
Still recognized, he was allowed to command because the investigation continued — even after family members of the woman he allegedly victimized got here ahead and claimed the company took half in a cover-up.
At a information convention final week, family members of the still-unnamed teen claimed she was “trafficked and raped” on the distinguished Marine Corps camp, the place guests are usually stopped by ready Marines on the entrance.
Cassaudra Perez, the woman’s aunt, instructed reporters Monday she was annoyed with the company’s dealing with of the investigations, drawing consideration to what she stated was a deliberate lack of transparency by NCIS.
Even now that the woman is in her grandmother’s care, Perez stated she fears navy officers will retaliate towards her household.
“If I go missing or get killed, those who might be responsible could be right here at Camp Pendleton,” she stated in a latest video uploaded to TikTookay.
Officials’ investigations into the 2 unspecified instances, in the meantime, are nonetheless ongoing and updates usually are not anticipated till later within the week.
