Seven Paratroopers Charged in Gay Porn Case
 |
James Joyner | Saturday, February 25, 2006 |
The Army has charged seven paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division with engaging in sex acts in videos shown on a gay pornography website. Three of the soldiers face courts-martial on charges of sodomy, pandering and engaging in sex acts for money, according to a statement released by the military Friday. Four other soldiers received what the military called nonjudicial punishments. The Army has recommended that all the paratroopers involved be discharged.
The charges do not mention the name of the site, but the division had been investigating allegations that soldiers appeared on a gay pornography website. A spokesman for the division said Friday’s charges were a result of that investigation.
[...]
Steve Ralls, spokesman for Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a legal group that helps gays and lesbians in the military, said the charges indicated the soldiers’ behavior was “a much more serious matter than just their sexual orientation.” Ralls said, “I’m not going to make excuses for service members who are taking part in sexual conduct for money. It would be absolutely criminal regardless of whether they were heterosexual or gay.”
[...]
The three soldiers who face courts-martial are: Spc. Richard T. Ashley, Pfc. Wesley K. Mitten and Pvt. Kagen B. Mullen.
Ralls’ point is worth emphasizing: These charges are not related to the homosexual nature of the offenses. While being filmed having gay sex would certainly be enough to establish a prima facie cause of violating the “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” policy, it would merely lead to administrative discharge. Indeed, four of the seven are not being charged with a crime at all, just minor breaches of military protocol.
________
Related: 82nd Airborne Gay Porn
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
Follow James on FriendFeed | Twitter | Digg
- None Found
- Berlin Wall Fall: 20 Years Later
- Oklahoma High Schoolers Are Very Familiar With George Washington, Thanks
- Was Fort Hood Massacre ‘Terrorism’?
- Making Jobs More Expensive
- House Trades Freedom for Health Coverage, Senate’s Move
- Hasan a Muslim First, American Second?
- OTB Caption JamTM
- Taking “No” As Iran’s Answer
- Update on the Fort Hood Massacre
- OTB Latenight – Soft Cell
I should hope that anyone involved in similar behavior-heterosexual or homosexual oriented would face similar punishments.
JUST SAY NO!
Comments are Closed
