OCEANSIDE, Calif. (KGTV) — Military prosecutors have charged a Marine, who NCIS had questioned after a missing 14-year-old girl was found in the barracks of Camp Pendleton at the end of June, with sexual assault of a minor, according to a public affairs officer at the base.
The girl was first reported missing by her grandmother, who lives in Spring Valley, to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department on June 13. According to the department, the grandmother told deputies the girl had run away on June 9. She also reported the girl ran away on previous occasions; however, it was unusual for her to be gone for several days.
The missing teen's information was entered into multiple missing persons databases, including the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
On June 28, military police informed the sheriff's department the teen was located at Camp Pendleton. A Marine was detained for questioning at the time, but he was released back into his unit until NCIS investigated further.
ABC 10News spoke to the teen's aunt in July and again in August. She described what happened to her as “upsetting and absolutely unacceptable.”
“I refuse to let this matter be swept under the rug,” said Cassandra Perez, the girl's aunt. “Statutory rape is a crime. It could have been charged, and it wasn’t."
RELATED: Family of missing teen found at Camp Pendleton demands transparency, justice
The command at Camp Pendleton has scheduled a preliminary hearing for Aug. 17, according to Capt. Charles Palmer. Palmer says following the hearing, the command will review all charges and evidence and then decide whether the Marine should be tried by court-martial.
The Marine is also facing a charge of violating liberty restriction, but that's from an older, unrelated case, per Palmer.
"As a reminder, charges remain allegations, and all service members are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty," Palmer's email to the ABC 10News team says.
The Marine Corps is not releasing more information about this case until the hearing.
