QUANTICO, Va. (AP) - A former Naval Academy instructor facing a possible court martial after a newspaper uncovered new evidence related to his convictions for indecent acts with female midshipmen walked out of his own preliminary hearing.
The lawyer for Marine Corps Maj. Mark Thompson called Friday's hearing at Quantico Marine Corps Base a "show trial." Thompson and his lawyers walked out of the hearing, which continued without him.
The new charges stem from Thompson's efforts to clear his name by taking his story to The Washington Post. Instead, a Post reporter found further evidence that Thompson lied about sexual encounters with students.
Thompson was convicted in 2013 of committing indecent acts, fraternization and conduct unbecoming an officer while an academy instructor. One student alleged Thompson assaulted her; another reported an ongoing consensual sexual relationship.
Friday's Article 32 hearing, similar to a preliminary hearing, featured lurid testimony about those sexual encounters.
