Military Members Implicated In Ashley Madison Hack, Many Could Face Significant Sanction

More than 9,000 military email addresses have been tied to Julys Ashley Madison data leak, according to a report published by Business Insider.

Online PR News – 03-September-2015 – More than 9,000 military email addresses have been tied to Julys Ashley Madison data leak, according to a report published by Business Insider. Ashley Madison is a Canadian online dating service that caters to people who are married or in a committed relationship.

While adultery is generally legal for civilians in about half of the states and rarely prosecuted in the remaining states, cheating on your spouse is a serious matter for people who are in the military. Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) prohibits adultery as well as other forms of conduct not specifically discussed elsewhere. People who are found guilty of adultery can fact extremely serious consequences, including imprisonment and dishonorable discharge.

In order to obtain a conviction, however, military prosecutors need to establish every element of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt. The elements of adultery are as follows:

That the accused had sexual intercourse with a certain person;
That, at the time, the accused or the other person was married to someone else; and
That, under the circumstances, the conduct of the accused was to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces or was of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.

Of course, there is a significant difference between being a member of a dating service and actually engaging in a sexual relationship with another person. As a result, it remains to be seen how the Ashley Madison leak will ultimately affect military members who were members of the site.

Gagne, Scherer & Associates, LLC is a Chicago-based law firm of military lawyers that is committed to protecting the legal rights of military members accused of crimes. The lawyers of the firm are all former members of the Judge Advocate Generals Corps and have an insiders perspective of the military criminal justice system. The firm regularly represents servicemen and women who have been accused of a number of offenses, including computer sex crimes, fraternization, sexual assault, violent crimes, and others. Potential clients can reach the firms court martial attorney by calling 773-774-6741 or sending an email through their online contact form.