A former recruit filed a federal legal complaint against the Marine Corps on Thursday after her recruiter — who self-published a memoir detailing some of his own misconduct — allegedly sexually abused her.
Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Champagne, 36, is currently under investigation by the service after he wrote a now-retracted book detailing an inappropriate relationship with the recruit, actions that the alleged victim’s family previously described to Military.com as grooming, threatening and abusive. Champagne was assigned to a Fort Worth, Texas, recruiting station before being pulled from recruiting duty.
The alleged abuse against the then-17-year-old plaintiff occurred over the span of more than a year, according to the complaint, and included sexual assault, monitoring the recruit’s phone activity, plying her with alcohol, and manipulating her interactions with peers in an attempt to isolate her.
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The complaint, which was filed under a provision that allows individuals to sue the military, alleges that the service knew Champagne had a “history of sexual abuse” and was violating Marine Corps policy. The complaint was shared with Military.com on Thursday by Sanford Heisler Sharp, the law firm representing the alleged victim.
Military.com reported in November that Champagne was under investigation by the military. Later…
