A member of the Navy’s SEAL Team Six has been charged with pretending to be someone else through text messages to solicit nude pictures from women.
Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Howard allegedly impersonated several different people and now has a general court-martial awaiting him at Naval Station Norfolk, according to the Virginian-Pilot.
Michael Waddington, a defense attorney for Howard, is attempting to have the case thrown out at his hearing next week. Waddington said investigators did not discover any nude photos on Howard’s phone and that he passed two polygraph tests.
Waddington added that the only connection between the Navy SEAL and the messages is that person who sent the texts said that he or she was stationed in San Diego at one point and used kettle bells to work out. The defense attorney said the charges could involve any one of the SEALs and also could have been made up by the Navy because they are not specified in the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Howard’s charges fall under General Article 134, which includes “all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.”
Waddington also accused the Naval Special Warfare Development Group of unlawful command influence for discouraging his SEAL team members from helping his defense case, which the attorney believes will aid Howard’s good military character defense. The SEAL was named Sailor of the Year in 2016.
“They have completely obstructed our ability to even defend him. The command can’t interfere with someone’s right to due process,” Waddington said.
Howard has vowed to plead not guilty to all charges if the case is not dismissed.
“We’re fighting this to the end,” Waddington said.
