New sex scandal shakes Australian Military

The Australian military was caught in a new sex scandal on Thursday, with 17 personnel, including officers, under investigation after "explicit and repugnant" emails and images demeaning women were uncovered.               

In this context, Army chief Lieutenant-General David Morrison said he was shocked at the leaks, noting that the scandal involves alleged production and distribution of "highly inappropriate" material across both defense computer systems and the public Internet over the last three years. Illicit drug use may also be involved.             

Last year, a government report emerged detailing more than 1,000 claims of sexual or other abuse in the forces from the 1950s to the present day.           

That report was sparked by the so-called Skype scandal in 2011, when footage of a young male recruit having sex with a female classmate was streamed online to cadets in another room without her knowledge.                 

Morrison said that three people have been suspended so far and may face police charges, while another five could be suspended and nine others are still under investigation.             

"A further 90 Australian Defense Force personnel are implicated in the email chain," he added.                 

The highest-ranking officer was a lieutenant-colonel, with the remainder either majors, captains, warrant officers, sergeants or corporals.                     

Lt-Gen Morrison declined to go into details of exactly what the material contained, but said "the matters both textural and imagery are demeaning, explicit and profane".