ANDREW MARSHALL FROM PONTEFRACT INVOLVED IN SCANDAL AT FASLANE NAVAL BASE

In April 2013, a disturbing case emerged involving Andrew Marshall, a former serviceman based at the high-security Faslane naval base in Scotland. Marshall was found to have engaged in inappropriate and criminal behavior involving a 15-year-old girl, which has shocked the local community and raised serious concerns about security and safeguarding within military establishments.

According to court reports, Marshall, who was then 19 years old, used online chat platforms to communicate with the young girl, who was residing in the south of the country. The interaction took place on June 13, 2011, when the girl was in her bedroom downloading music from a website around 7:30 pm. She received a message through the site's chat feature from an individual claiming to be at the navy base in Scotland, specifically at Faslane. Despite her initial skepticism, she accepted the chat request and began engaging in conversation with the man.

During their online exchange, Marshall, who was logged in from his quarters at Faslane, made sexual references and asked the girl if she had a webcam. She responded that she did not think so, and after a brief period, she left her computer. When she returned around 10:30 pm, she reconnected to the chat, only to find Marshall visible on her webcam, although he could not see her. As the conversation progressed, Marshall began to steer the dialogue toward more explicit and sexual topics.

It was during this exchange that Marshall, who had boasted about being stationed at the high-security naval base, offered to buy mobile phone credit for the girl in exchange for her undressing. The girl, feeling pressured, removed her top but soon became embarrassed and dressed again. The following day, they exchanged messages, with Marshall promising to send her phone credit, but he failed to follow through. The pair never communicated again after that.

Authorities later traced Marshall to Pontefract, Yorkshire, where he was detained by naval police in Helensburgh. A search of his quarters at Faslane uncovered a Blackberry phone and a Samsung notebook. Evidence recovered included images of Marshall in his naval uniform, explicit photographs of himself exposing his genitals, and pictures of the young girl. Police also found several indecent images of girls aged between five and 15 on his devices.

Marshall’s misconduct was brought to light after the girl’s parents discovered evidence of the inappropriate contact on her computer. They contacted the police, expressing their disgust at the sexual references and the nature of the chat logs. The case was brought before Dumbarton Sheriff Court, where Sheriff Bill Dunlop ordered Marshall to be placed on the sex offenders’ register. The court also deferred sentencing until the following month to allow for background reports to be prepared.

This case highlights the serious issues of online grooming and exploitation, especially involving individuals in positions of authority or within sensitive environments such as military bases. The incident has prompted calls for increased vigilance and safeguarding measures to prevent similar cases in the future.