Navy turns red over
blue picture

A nude photograph causes a stir
at a sex harassment seminar

More than 250 sailors and civilians attending an annual sexual harassment prevention class at Pearl Harbor got an eyeful when a nude photograph of a woman popped up on the theater screen.

The petty officer running the computer presentation contended that it was done inadvertently, but the Navy said his action was unacceptable and he was punished.

Capt. Ronald Cox, who commands Pearl Harbor Naval Station, sent an e-mail message the next day to those who attended, apologizing for the Aug. 24 incident.

"I am embarrassed that anyone assigned to this command could be exposed to this material," Cox wrote. "This is totally unacceptable and won't be tolerated."

The petty officer's laptop was being used to show the electronic slide presentation, and the personal photograph of the nude woman was a background image on the computer's desktop.

Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, Pearl Harbor spokesman, said the Navy allows computer users to place personal or family photographs on their desktops, but nude images or other explicit or pornographic photographs are not permitted.

Pearl Harbor officials have scheduled 30-minute class computer-training classes for all Navy personnel and civilian workers at Pearl Harbor. Davis said the classes "focused on computer use and appropriate use of computers."

Davis said the annual computer presentation in Pearl Harbor's Sharkey Theater was on "Prevention of Sexual Harassment."

The nude photograph was not projected very long, and there might have been confusion at first whether it was a prank or part of the training, Davis said.

He said he is not allowed to identify the petty officer or the punishment he received at a Sept. 1 captain's mast, which resulted in a nonjudicial punishment. The potential punishment included confinement, fine and reduction in rank.