Nation IN BRIEF : MARYLAND : Midshipman Jailed in Sex Assault Case

A senior midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., was jailed while authorities investigate accusations that he sexually assaulted four female midshipmen. The midshipman first class, whose name was not released, has not been formally charged. He is being held at the U.S. Marine Reservation at Quantico, Va. The midshipman was jailed “basically out of concern for the welfare of the alleged victims” after he allegedly threatened one of his accusers, said Navy Lt. Scott Allen, a spokesman at the academy. The alleged assaults took place as recently as last week, academy spokeswoman Debbie Carroll said. Details were not available. A General Accounting Office study released last year found that more than 35% of women at the academy during the academic year 1993-94 were subjected to unwanted physical contact. But academy officials called that finding “not credible.”