from www.marinecorpstimes.com – A baritone horn player assigned to Marine Barracks Washington is the subject of an Article 32 investigation in connection with online photos and videos that allegedly show him having sex with other men.
Sgt. Matthew W. Simmons, whose alleged screen name is “Christian Jade,” acknowledged in an e-mail that he believed his case would be taken to court-martial.
A statement from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service confirmed that Simmons’ command “requested NCIS investigate whether Sgt. Matthew Simmons violated [Uniform Code of Military Justice] articles concerning indecent acts and sodomy while involved in the production of adult pornography. The investigation remains open.”
The investigation was prompted in part by alleged evidence Simmons wore his Marine uniform “in some of these productions,” NCIS officials told Marine Corps Times.
from www.edgeboston.com – A Marine sergeant by the name of Matthew W. Simmons faces investigation for allegedly appearing in graphic online photos that show two men having sex. In the online photos, Simmons is referred to by the name Christian Jade, reported the Military Times on Aug. 16.
The article said that Simmons verified by email that he was facing investigation, and cited a statement from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) that said the NCIS was looking into “whether Sgt. Matthew Simmons violated [Uniform Code of Military Justice] articles concerning indecent acts and sodomy while involved in the production of adult pornography.”
Simmons was said to have worn his uniform in some pornography in which he appears. In one online appearance at WayBig.com, a man identified as Christian Jade is shown in a series of 15 photos performing sexual acts with another man, identified as William West. The article says that the men also appear in a video available at CollegeDudes247.com. Jade also appears in another series of still photos at WayBig.com with a men identified as Titus Gallen.
The allegation follows in the wake of a case three years ago in which a then-36-year-old Marine corporal, Matthew Sanchez, admitted to having starred in porn films in his youth. Sanchez briefly became a darling of the conservative right after standing up to anti-war protestors at Columbia University and writing an op-ed piece in which he declared that, “Ivy League protesters feel superior to service members,” recounted the Marine Corps Times in a Mar. 17, 2007, article. The op-ed in question appeared in that same publication on Jan. 1 of that year.
Sanchez claimed that he had stopped appearing in porn films before enlisting. “Porn reduces the mind and flattens the soul,” Sanchez related, going on to say, “That’s not hypocrisy talking; that’s just experience.” Added the former adult star, “I can tell you, though, that by the time I finished my brief tour of the major studios, I was pretty disgusted with myself.”
Sanchez also served as a Fox News correspondent and a military embed. In a Jan. 28, 2009, blog at The Fox Forum, Sanchez spoke out against the Obama administration and a proposal to end the ban on openly LGBT servicemembers. Sanchez declared that, “forcing the military to legitimize same-sex relationships will be a Trojan Horse for imposing gay marriage nationwide and all in the name of ’change.’ ”
Sanchez, a Marine Reservist who has reported as an embed from Iraq and Afghanistan, and who currently writes for right-wing Web site WorldNetDaily, also offered a novel view of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT),” the military ban on service by openly gay troops, writing, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was designed to protect those who serve and participate in the LGBT lifestyle against unfair prosecution from their superiors.”
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was the end result of then-President Clinton’s attempt, in 1993, to integrate the military fully, in order that gays and lesbians might serve openly. When troops and senior officers alike rebelled, and claims that openly gay troops would disrupt military discipline and morale were made, Clinton backed off the attempt, and lawmakers forged a compromise measure, which commonly became known by a slightly longer moniker: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue.”
Wrote Sanchez, “The compromise was this: You keep your private life private and we won’t bother you.” However, the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), an advocacy organization for GLBT troops, estimates that since 1993, over 12,000 troops have been discharged under DADT. Critics, including the SLDN, say that a number of those who have been discharged possess potentially mission-critical skills related to intelligence and translation, which advocates for gay troops say are indispensable given the ongoing war against terrorism.
Another Marine corporal, “David,” was found to be an adult film star, reported Advocate.com in a Nov. 19, 2009, article. “David” took part in a film produced by the military, after which it became known that he had also starred in several films produced by Active Duty, a porn company specializing in military-themed erotica. Active Duty had also engaged the services of a number of other military personnel who then faced discharge when their film work came to light, the Advocate.com story said.
A similar purge took place of Army servicemembers who were found to have appeared on an adult site in 2006, reported PageOneQ on July 25, 2007. A May 2, 2006, FoxNews.com article reported on the discharged Army personnel, seven in all, who faced an array of charges, including conduct detrimental to the Army. All seven were members of the elite 82nd Airborne Division.
Military-themed gay erotica is a common subset of adult fare and includes dedicated sites for users over the age of 18 such as Young Recruits.com.