Probe: Military took prostitutes to Colombia hotel

CBS/AP

Last Updated 1:58 p.m. ET

(AP) WASHINGTON - As many as a dozen U.S. service members brought women, likely prostitutes, to their hotel rooms in Colombia and also allowed dogs to soil bed linens and building grounds shortly before President Barack Obama arrived in the country for an April summit, according to a military investigation.

The report provided to The Associated Press on Friday revealed new details about the conduct of the service members during the prostitution scandal that engulfed both military and Secret Service personnel.

Seven Army soldiers and two Marines have received administrative punishments for what the report called misconduct consisting "almost exclusively of patronizing prostitutes and adultery." Three of the service members have requested courts martial, which would give them a public trial to contest the punishments.

According to the investigator's report, the problems came to light when hotel staff complained to U.S. officials that military members had female guests in their rooms after 6 a.m., a violation of hotel policy. They also complained that dog handlers allowed their dogs to sleep in beds, soil hotel linens and also soil other public areas around the building.

The report concluded that "the combination of unstructured free time, the prevalence of legalized prostitution and military members' individual choice to commit misconduct," were the primary causes of the bad behavior. It also found that there was no evidence that the interaction with prostitutes presented any risk to national security, and that no sensitive materials were compromised.

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Prostitution is legal in Colombia but is a violation of the U.S. military code of justice. Hotels in Cartagena require that any guests, including prostitutes, must be signed in, must pay a guest fee and must leave by 6 a.m.

U.S. Southern Command, headed by Gen. Douglas Fraser, conducted the investigation into the military members' involvement in the April incident, which brought shame to the elite presidential protection force and unearthed revelations of other episodes of misconduct within the Secret Service.

A dozen Secret Service officers, agents and supervisors were implicated in the Colombia scandal. Eight have been forced out of the agency, three were cleared of serious misconduct and at least two employees are fighting to get their jobs back.

[gramps1941]

Hypocrites posting here or probably in todays world, too many people who have never served. Military men have been using prostitutes since the beginning of civilized time. Better than raping the losers. I spent thirty years in the Navy, served on a dozen or so warships and I can tell you, out of the 10000 plus men I sailed with, maybe less than 2 percent did NOT use the services when and where available. Unlike the Secret Service however, we almost always did the honorable thing and paid the agreed upon fees.

[tomanyt]

Probe: Military took prostitutes to hotel...That is the most appropriate place to take a prostitute.
Why is prostitution still illegal anyway?

[gramps1941]

I would bet that an awful lot of foreign correspondents have used the services of a professional from time to time. What a bunch of hypocrites!

[jwilsonte5]

The problem is were not talking breaking law its a moral thing!! there are lot of people out of work no ones been fired lots of people who can have morals need work who wants low lives around who have to go to hookers for a piece of ass ?? what kind of men needs to pay for sex that in it self say they are about nothing legal or not how nasty certianly there is a place on front lines for these losers !!

[gramps1941]

Military personnel on short tours overseas don't have time to develop long term romantic relationships. We used whatever was available. Unlike the SS however, we always paid the agreed upon fees.

[AOCGUY]

The problem is that we are talking about breaking the law. Just because protitution is legal in another country doesn't make it legal for military personnel to engage the services of a prostitute, which IS a violation of the UCMJ. Drug use is legal in many countries that our military personnel are assigned or visit but that doesn't mean they can use drugs while in those countries.

[jklombardi]

The military using prostitutes? What a surprise. What, it's against the rules? They got alot of people that have alot of explaining to do. Not just the military people in this report. Now, those dogs messng up the hotel, that's gotta' stop.

[fredm6900]

Do you know when the world started ... or the idea of money came about for the first time? That's when it all started.