Navy Probes New Claims Of Sexual Misconduct -- Sailors Accused Of Luring Teen To Alaska Hotel Room

SITKA, Alaska - The Navy is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against sailors who visited this port town during the annual Alaska Day festivities last month.

The allegations involve teenage girls who met sailors on leave from the frigate USS Duncan while Sitka was celebrating the 125th anniversary of Russia's transfer of Alaska to the United States.

Police say several sailors lured a girl under 16 into a hotel room on Oct. 15 and persuaded her to undress.

Police closed their investigation after the girl and her parents decided not to press charges.

The Navy, however, said it was still investigating and may take disciplinary action.

"The Navy is investigating to determine if offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice were committed," said Cmdr. Frank Thorp of the Surface Force Pacific Fleet in San Diego.

He declined to release any additional details, pending completion of the investigation.

In another case, sailors were accused of providing alcohol to two high-school girls, and of unspecified sexual misconduct on Oct. 14. The girls were over 16, the age of consent in Alaska.

Police and the Navy declined to file charges, citing lack of evidence.

The recent "Tailhook" scandal has focused attention on the Navy's handling of allegations of sexual misconduct. In that case, Naval aviators were accused of sexually molesting women at a Las Vegas convention.

"Any time a sailor is accused of misconduct the Navy considers it extremely serious," Thorp told the Daily Sitka Sentinel last week. "It's an extremely unfortunate incident, especially in light of the otherwise outstanding friendship that was developed between the crew of the Duncan and the people of Sitka.

"This incident would have been handled in the exact manner before Tailhook as it is being handled now."

Both girls in the Oct. 14 case attend Mount Edgecumbe High School in Sitka.

"The police went through everything with me and I could see where they came up with no case, after listening to what they had as evidence," Superintendent Larrae Rocheleau said.

But Rocheleau criticized the way the Navy has dealt with the matter. "We have not been called by any people from the ship. We have not been offered any apologies."

Rocheleau said he has talked with other young women in town who were afraid of the visiting sailors during the week-long festivities.

"One girl told me that she actually ran to her car because some person was walking real fast behind her yelling, `I just want to meet you, I just want to meet you.' So it wasn't just our kids. There was a problem."

Manager Mary Johnson at Sitka's Super 8 motel said she had several complaints about the rowdy sailors who rented rooms. After two days, she put the motel off limits to Navy men and reported their behavior to the ship's officers.

"Those two days, I had more problems than I had in two months," Johnson said.

The Duncan's commanding officer, Capt. Martin Leghart, ordered the investigations while the ship was still in Sitka.

Thorp said Leghart ordered those accused to be confined to the ship for the rest of the visit. The ship is operating in the Pacific and the accused remain on board, he said.

Because several sailors witnessed the Oct. 15 hotel-room incident and because the girl does not want to testify, an investigator probably will not be sent to Sitka, Thorp said.