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The Army said¹ Tuesday that it is investigating a sexual assault prevention and response coordinator at Fort Hood for pandering, abusive sexual contact, assault and maltreatment of subordinates.

Unnamed officials at the Department of Defense have told USA Today² and NBC News³ that the soldier allegedly forced a subordinate into prostitution.

The sergeant first class, who was assigned to the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) program, is not being named at this time and has not been charged, according to the Army statement . The soldier was immediately suspended from all duties once the allegations were made.

The Army s SHARP website⁴ says the program s goal is to eliminate sexual assaults and sexual harassment by creating a climate that respects the dignity of every member of the Army Family.

This investigation comes just a week after an Air Force branch chief for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program was charged with sexual battery⁵ and removed from his position . Lt .

Col . Jeffrey Krusinski allegedly approached a woman in a parking lot and grabbed her breasts and buttocks at 12:35 am on May 5, according to a report of the incident released by the Arlington, Va., police department.

Last week, the Department of Defense also released⁶ its annual report⁷ on sexual assaults across all branches of the military . While 3,374 incidents of unwanted sexual contact had occurred in the 2012 fiscal year, an anonymous survey found that 26,000 respondents had been sexually assaulted during that same timeframe .

That is a dramatic increase from the previous year when 19,000 said they had been assaulted.

DoD press secretary George Little said in a statement⁸ that Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel had been informed of the Army s investigation and directed all of the services to re-train, re-credential and re-screen all sexual assault prevention and response personnel and military recruiters.

I cannot convey strongly enough his frustration, anger, and disappointment over these troubling allegations and the breakdown in discipline and standards they imply, Little said.

Rep . Niki Tsongas (D-Mass.), who co-chairs the Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus and recently introduced legislation to change military policy, denounced the latest scandal in a statement.

It has become painfully evident that saying the military has a cultural problem in regard to sexual assault and sexual misconduct, is a glaring understatement, Tsongas said . At worst, this is a deep-rooted and widespread acceptance of unprofessional, inappropriate and criminal behavior .

At best, it is willful denial or head-turning on the part of too many military leaders.

References

1. ^{^} said (www.defense.gov)
2. ^{^} USA Today (www.usatoday.com)
3. ^{^} NBC News (worldnews.nbcnews.com)
4. ^{^} website (www.sexualassault.army.mil)
5. ^{^} charged with sexual battery (www.forbes.com)
6. ^{^} released (usnews.nbcnews.com)
7. ^{^} annual report (www.sapr.mil)
8. ^{^} statement (www.defense.gov)