Scores of nonconsensual pornographic videos depicting U.S. service members on Guam were briefly available on one of the world’s most-visited websites, according to recently unsealed records in Guam federal court.
At least 102 videos of men masturbating in bathroom stalls, many on Guam, were uploaded to Pornhub.com in January 2020, according to a search warrant request filed by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service the following September. The videos likely were recorded on hidden cameras placed “above, below or through holes in the wall of the bathroom stalls.”
Most of the videos appeared to be recorded aboard U.S. Navy vessels and in the men’s restroom at Naval Base Guam’s Liberty Center, according to the warrant. Others appeared to be recorded at an unknown “hostel” and appeared to depict civilians, the warrant states. Some of the individuals depicted were in uniform and identifiable.
Investigators determined the “greatest number of identifiable victims were assigned to the submarine tenders USS Frank Cable and USS Emory S. Land, both homeported on the island.
No arrests or indictments have been made in the case, Pacific Daily News reported Tuesday.
An NCIS spokesperson did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment early Friday.
Carmela Rapadas, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorneys for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands acknowledged Stars and Stripes’ request Friday for additional information but was not able to respond by Friday afternoon.
Pornhub is the 15th most-visited website in the world and the second-most visited adult video website, according to data aggregation company SimilarWeb.com.
Several videos were uploaded with titles including the rank and last name of the individual, while others were given more ambiguous labels, according to the warrant.
The warrant sought information for the Pornhub account “playguy148,” which uploaded the videos sometime around Jan. 8, 2020. The account owner or owners are not mentioned or identified in the records.
The warrant alleges criminal violations of federal law on video voyeurism and illegal interception of communications.
The case remained under a court-ordered seal until April 17. Prosecutors received 12 extensions of that seal, with the final one granted on Nov. 14, according to the U.S. District Court of Guam docket.
“Given the age of this case, the court warns that no further extension will be granted absent specific substantial justification,” read the final extension order, signed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Bordallo on Nov. 27.
Investigators became aware of the videos Jan. 8, 2020, and reviewed the content Jan. 13. NCIS then contacted Pornhub, requested the account information and that the videos be removed. A warrant for the account information was subsequently served.
The videos were disabled Jan. 16, according to the warrant.
A spokesperson for Naval Base Guam did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Friday.