A Marine charged with sexual assault after a missing 14-year-old girl was found at his barracks will face a court-martial, a spokesman for the 1st Marine Logistics Group said.
Pfc. Avery L. Rosario was detained in June after the girl was found at Camp Pendleton in California. Military prosecutors charged him in August with sexual assault of a minor.
Rosario’s defense has said that he met the girl on Tinder and that her profile said she was 21.
Two charges were referred to a general court-martial by Brig. Gen. Andrew M. Niebel, the commanding general of the 1st Marine Logistics Group, a spokesman group said.
Rosario is expected to appear before the court-martial Thursday, said Capt. Virginia Burger, the logistics group’s communications director.
The girl was found at Camp Pendleton, which is near Oceanside, on June 28, more than two weeks after her grandmother reported her missing to the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, officials said.
Bill Feather
Bill Feather is an assignment editor for NBC San Diego who covers general assignment and daily breaking news.
Phil Helselcontributed.