NC- A group of paratroopers from the elite 82nd Airborne Division have been moved from their regular barracks while military officials investigate allegations that they appeared on a gay pornography Web site, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

The investigation is still at an early stage, division spokeswoman Maj. Amy Hannah said in a statement. The move was prompted by concerns for the soldiers’ privacy and rights, not for fears about their safety, she said.

The 82nd Airborne acknowledged the investigation last week but declined to say how many soldiers might have appeared on the military- themed porn site. A defense official speaking on condition of anonymity said last week that as many as seven soldiers were involved.

The paratroopers have been allowed to seek legal assistance, but no charges have been filed, the division has said.

There are no direct references on the Web site to the 82nd Airborne or its home base, Fort Bragg.

The military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy states that “homosexual orientation alone is not a bar to service, but homosexual conduct is incompatible with military service.” Soldiers who violate the policy are removed from the service.

The registered owner of the Web site’s domain name lists a street address in Fayetteville, the city that adjoins Fort Bragg.

E-mails to the registered owner were returned Tuesday as undeliverable, and the phone number listed on the domain-name registration is no longer in service.

The Web site was active Tuesday.

The 15,000 paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne are among the Army’s most elite soldiers, all having volunteered to serve in a unit that trains to deploy anywhere in the world within 18 hours.