Soldiers Caught In Porn Stings

The military has been sweeping the Internet and it’s ranks in an attempt to prosecute the numerous military personnel who perform in adult oriented military-themed web sites. The latest targets are soldiers from Ft. Bragg, NC who appeared in both heterosexual and gay scenes on the sites.

The trials and the prosecutions really highlight several problems in the military. The first is the poor judgement on behalf of the soldiers who appeared in the videos. The military does not exist in a vacuum, and someone was bound to see and recognize a face in one of the videos. Though I have absolutely no problem with people appearing in consensual erotic videos, I do have a problem with these cases. I suspect the real reason these soldiers appeared was for money. The salaries of enlisted personnel are abysmal. The stories of soldier’s families living on food stamps are numerous.

Sex work is often a resort of people who are desperate for money. It’s fast and sometimes fun, though it has its dangers. Aside from the transmission of STDs, sex work is illegal, so the participants immediately have that liability hanging over their heads. Though performing in adult videos is not illegal in many states, it still puts the performer in the public eye, and as such they will be seen my thousands of people. Exposure can be a problem in a society that judges adult video performers harshly, and especially in the military where such activity is seen as dishonorable.

Additionally, some of the soldiers performed in gay themed scenes, which as anyone knows is directly in opposition to the notorious "don’t ask-don't tell"" policy of the Armed Services. Sadly these men will be treated more harshly.

So what is the answer to all this hubbub? Well, I see no reason why any adult who wants to perform in an erotic video should be penalized for it. It is a personal choice, and in some ways could be considered a celebration of ones sexuality. However, if it was done out of dire economic necessity or under any kind of duress, I think it’s fundamentally wrong. Do I have a problem with people having sex for money? Not really. Prostitution and sex workers of all kind have been around forever. But to be pushed into it because the job you have chosen to do will not pay you a living wage, that seems immoral to me.

I will keep and eye on these cases and will be interested to see what the full circumstances are.