Feds: San Diego SEAL molested girl, raped woman, kept child porn
A Navy SEAL stationed in San Diego filmed himself molesting a sleeping girl, raped a woman in Virginia and kept a stash of child porn on his cellphone that included footage involving an infant having sex with a dog, according to allegations unsealed in federal court in Virginia Beach.
Arrested in San Diego by federal marshals more than two weeks ago, SEAL Team One Petty Officer 1st Class Gregory Kyle Seerden, 31, faces felony child pornography and child sex assault charges in Virginia following a probe by Naval Criminal Investigative Service’s Norfolk field office.
Seerden’s alleged sex crimes against children were uncovered by agents investigating the purported rape of an an unconscious Virginia woman there.
Identified as Jane Doe in court documents, the woman accused Seerden of raping her on Jan. 27 after she blacked out after drinking with Seerden in his hotel room aboard Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek — Fort Story, where he was on a temporary assignment.
After she awoke at 4 a.m., Seerden allegedly told her that they had engaged in intercourse. When he dropped her off at the base’s Gate 5, she told a guard. Authorities monitoring her communications with Seerden reported that he “disclosed he was aware” that the woman “was not sober the previous night” when he had intercourse with her, according to the criminal complaint filed in his case.
Agents seized Seerden’s iPhone 7 the same day. Combing the telephone’s electronic files in an initial search, an analyst uncovered “images of prepubescent children that were naked an engaged in sexual acts,” another image that seemed “linked to bestiality” and other questionable material.
Armed with a federal search warrant, on March 31 a digital forensic examiner found “approximately 78 images” that also appeared to be child pornography, including the bondage of children, federal files state.
In addition, videos and a photograph on the phone created on or about Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 allegedly showed a man masturbating next to an unidentified sleeping girl who appeared to be about 5 or 6 years of age. In the footage, a man in a blue shirt uses the child’s hand and lips for sexual acts, but his face is never shown, according to the criminal complaint.
Other photos on Seerden’s phone do show him wearing a blue shirt. He also was allegedly photographed reading the female victim a bedtime story. The girl is believed to be a relative. On his Facebook page, Seerden allegedly posted that he “enjoyed an awesome weekend” with family members when the images were made.
It’s unclear where the alleged assault took place. Court documents indicate that the family did not live in Virginia. The Navy lists his home of record in Missouri. He enlisted in 2005.
Court records show that federal magistrate William V. Gallo in San Diego held a detention hearing for Seerden on April 13, the same day an extradition warrant was issued. More detailed documents remain sealed by court order.
Seerden’s criminal defense attorney, Gerard Jeffrey Wasson, has not returned a call placed Friday morning seeking comment from him. If convicted, the mandatory minimum sentence for the charges is 15 years in prison.
“Petty Officer First Class Seerden is an active-duty service member assigned to a Naval Special Warfare unit. NSW is cooperating with the investigative authorities,” said Lt. Zachary Keating, spokesman for Naval Special Warfare Group One.
When asked if Navy commanders were administratively moving to strip Seerden of his coveted trident insignia and the honor of being called a SEAL, Keating declined comment.
Along with scrapping a SEAL’s security clearance, that’s a step special warfare commanders often take because it is not considered a form of punishment under military law.
In disclosure forms Seerden filed in federal court, the SEAL claimed to be divorced and without children. He said he earns $6,000 per month in the Navy, has $10,000 in the bank, owns both a car and a motorcycle, and took a $20,000 stake in a silver investment.
On March 24, a military judge found Chief Special Warfare Operator Stephen Varanko III guilty of sexual harassment and battery stemming from an adulterous relationship. He was a SEAL assigned to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek — Fort Story.
Navy SEAL Petty Officer Second Class Theo Andrew Krah was arrested on June 15 after being accused of beating and stabbing to death a man following an altercation on the Santa Monica Pier. Krah was stationed in San Diego.
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