A disturbing incident involving a 14-year-old girl has resulted in the charging of a Marine with sexually abusing a minor at Camp Pendleton, California. The girl had gone missing from a base barracks on June 28.
Camp spokesman Capt. Charles Palmer has announced that a preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 17 at Camp Pendleton. During this hearing, the command will review the allegations and evidence before making a decision on whether to proceed with a court-martial.
In light of the ongoing investigation, Palmer emphasized the importance of protecting the integrity of the process and the rights of the individual involved. He stated, “All service members are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.”
The sailor in question had been released after being questioned by Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigators in July. The incident came to light when the 14-year-old girl went missing from a barracks on June 28. Family members claimed on social media that the girl had been sexually assaulted by a Marine at the camp. The incident reportedly occurred after the girl had gone missing on June 10.
Although the Marine’s identity has not been disclosed, it was revealed that the individual belongs to the 1st Marine Logistics Group, 5th Combat Logistics Battalion, stationed at Camp Pendleton. In addition, Palmer confirmed that a video circulating on social media, depicting a handcuffed Marine being escorted by military police outside a barracks, is indeed the same Marine involved in the case.
