Tom Vanden Brook | USA TODAY

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Navy

WASHINGTON — A Navy chaplain was fired last month from his post at a Marine Corps command after he was caught on video having sex with a woman at a pub in New Orleans, USA TODAY has learned.

The Marines fired Navy Capt. Loften Thornton on March 20 for “loss of trust and confidence,” said Marine Lt. Col. Ted Wong, a spokesman for Marine Reserve. Thornton had been chaplain for Marine Forces Reserve based in New Orleans.

Wong declined to discuss what prompted the Marines to fire Thornton, a Navy chaplain since 1992. But two Defense officials confirmed that authorities were examining video that shows Thornton having sex with a woman at the Crown & Anchor Pub, a British-themed tavern across the Mississippi River from the French Quarter. They were not authorized to speak on the record because the case is under investigation.

The owner of the pub, Neil Timms, said the incident took place in front of the pub by the road near some picnic tables. Timms is cooperating with authorities, he said. The bar is a five-minute drive from the Marine Reserve facility.

Thornton did not respond to a request for comment, and a Navy official said he was not available.

The “Marine Corps takes all allegations against any of our Marines or sailors seriously, and they are thoroughly investigated,” Wong said.

The Navy provides chaplains for the Marine Corps. Clergy members “are embedded within commands operating at sea and ashore to ensure 24/7 availability,” according to the Navy’s strategic plan for religious ministry. “They provide a source of comfort and refuge that enables service members and their families to practice and grow in their faith and to face personal and professional challenges.”

The Marines have struggled over the last year with sexual misconduct and allegations of toxic work environments. Last year, news broke of the Marines United scandal in which a private Facebook group of current and former Marines who shared often-explicit photos of women without their consent. Several Marines have been court-martialed while others have received lesser punishment, and it prompted a new policy on social media use.

SAUL LOEB, AFP/Getty Images

More recently, Gen. Robert Neller, the Marine Corps commandant, has ordered a new investigation of sexual harassment allegations at its base in Quantico, Va., known as the Crossroads of the Marine Corps. USA TODAY reported in February that two civilian employees made complaints of sexual harassment against a Marine officer.

In March, Neller ordered the new review to focus on the complaints of Sherry Yetter and Traci Sharpe. They allege that their concerns about the officer, dating to 2013, were not taken seriously by the Marine Corps. They say he called them to his office and showed them that he was sexually aroused on several occasions. He denies the allegations.