US Marine sex case under way

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA (AP) - A Marine drill instructor accused of having an affair with a female Navy officer and harassing women trainees went on trial yesterday. Gunnery Sgt Michael Wallace is one of two drill instructors at the Pensacola Naval Air Station who are facing courts-martial on sexual harassment and fraternisation charges. Both had been assigned to the Aviation Officer Candidate School.

The Navy began investigating the Pensacola cases in January, before widespread publicity about alleged sexual harassment by naval aviators at the annual Tailhook Association convention last September in Las Vegas. In that case at least 26 women alleged they were fondled and stripped of clothing as they were pushed through a gauntlet of naval aviators in a hotel corridor.