A West Point sergeant secretly photographed and videotaped naked female cadets as they showered, the Army said yesterday.
A dozen women were taped as far back as 2009, when Sgt. 1st Class Michael McClendon arrived at the military academy, officials said.
McClendon, a combat engineer who has been in the military since 1990, supervised 121 cadets.
He has been transferred to Fort Drum upstate, but is not yet being detained.
McClendon was slapped last week with four charges for allegedly violating military code.
The videos have been recovered, and McClendon’s alleged victims have been notified, according to the military.
“The Army has notified those involved and offered support services at their individual locations,” said spokesman George Wright.
“It appears to be at least a dozen or more alleged victims who may have been photographed without their consent.”
Authorities had been investigating McClendon since last May, but were waiting to charge him until they collected all evidence and examined the complex case.
“We take this seriously, and have offered the victims appropriate support services,” an official said.
McClendon was relieved of his duties just over a year ago, and was barred from coming into contact with cadets.
“The Army is committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of our cadets at the Military Academy at West Point — as well as all soldiers throughout our Army,” said Vice Chief of Staff Gen. John Campbell.
“Once notified of the violation, a full investigation was launched, followed by swift action to correct the problem. Our cadets must be confident that issues such as these are handled quickly and decisively, and that our system will hold those responsible accountable.”
The accusations are the latest sex scandal to embarrass the military.
Jeffrey Krusinski, 41, an Air Force official who was tasked with sexual-assault prevention, was charged earlier this month with sexual battery.
And an Army sergeant in a similar position at Fort Hood was busted for pandering and sex-abuse charges days later.
A damning recent report claimed that as many as 26,000 military personnel might have been sexually attacked in the last year.
“I want to assure this committee of the Army’s unwavering commitment to eliminating sexual assault and harassment in our ranks,” Army Secretary John McHugh told a Senate panel yesterday.
“These crimes violate virtually everything the Army stands for . . . and they will not be tolerated.”
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel is scheduled to speak at West Point’s commencement Saturday.