U.S. Navy Probes Submarine Video Scandal

The U.S. Navy is investigating allegations of the illegal taping and distribution of videos aboard a submarine based in Georgia that was among the first to integrate women into its crew, military officials said.

Citing the probe, military spokeswoman Lieutenant Leslie Hubbell declined on Friday to provide details of the alleged criminal activity on the ballistic-missile submarine USS Wyoming at the Naval Submarine Base at Kings Bay, Georgia.

The Navy Times reported Wednesday that a male sailor had secretly recorded female officers as they showered or undressed and then distributed the videos, according to a Nov. 14 incident report.

Naval leaders learned of accusations about the illegal video recording last month, Vice Admiral Michael Connor said in a letter to commanders, parts of which were released to the media late Thursday.

The alleged perpetrators were removed from the ship while the investigation proceeded, said Connor, whose serves as commander of Submarine Forces.

"Incidents that violate the trust of our sailors go against every core value we hold sacred in our naval service," he said.

Connor said the early stages of allowing women to serve alongside men on submarines had "gone remarkably well," with 59 women assigned to ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines.

The USS Wyoming was one of the first submarines to take on women in 2011, the Navy Times reported.