Female US soldier describes prostitution ring recruitment

A female soldier testified before a military panel in Texas on Tuesday that she was recruited into a prostitution ring by a superior at Fort Hood, one of the largest Army bases in the United States, according to a local TV report.

Sergeant First Class Gregory McQueen has been accused of running the sex ring at the base in central Texas. He is facing 21 charges related to pandering, conspiracy, maltreatment of a subordinate, abusive sexual contact, adultery and conduct of a nature to bring discredit to the armed forces.

The female soldier, who was not identified by name, said during testimony that McQueen approached her when she was a 20-year-old single mother struggling to pay her student loan bills, according to the report on TV station KWTX.

The witness said McQueen told her to take pictures of herself so he could connect her with high-ranking officers who would pay to have sex with her, according to the report.

The proceedings at Fort Hood, similar to a pretrial hearing in a civilian court, are expected to take two days.

Another soldier from the Texas base was demoted last year after he was found guilty of conspiring to patronize a prostitute and solicitation to commit adultery.

The Fort Hood cases are part of a spate of sex-related incidents in the military that have prompted Congress to look at ways to make top brass more accountable for the conduct of soldiers.