Marine in Fort Worth accused of sexually assaulting recruit, then writing book about it

A Fort Worth-based Marine Corps recruiter allegedly sexually assaulted and stalked a 17-year-old recruit and then wrote about their “romantic relationship” in a self-published memoir, according to a federal complaint filed by the recruit.

Attorneys for the unnamed recruit filed a Federal Torts Claims Act complaint on Thursday, against the U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Marine Corps began investigating the recruiter, Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Champagne, after he published a memoir about the “scandalous romantic relationship,” according to November reporting from Military.com. At the time, Military.com reported that Champagne had been removed from his role as a recruiter at Recruiting Station Fort Worth, but that he was still on active duty.

Later in November, Military.com reported that Champagne had continued to harass the girl and her family, even after the military investigation began.

It was unclear whether Champagne remained on active duty as of Thursday. The communications office for the 8th Marine Corps District, which is headquartered in Fort Worth, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment on Thursday.

Christine Dunn — a partner at the D.C.-based law firm Sanford Heisler Sharp, who is representing the recruit — said in an interview with the Star-Telegram that the alleged abuse has had a deep and lasting impact on the recruit and her family.

“Anyone who’s gone through something like this, it sticks with them forever,” Dunn said. The young recruit “dreamed of being in the Marines and serving her country, and that’s been taken away from her because of what this man did to her and because the Marines put him in a position to be able to do this to her.”

According to the federal complaint, the potential recruit signed on to be a Marine poolee — which means she intended to join the Marines but was deferring basic training — in fall 2022, when she was 17 years old. She then attended recruiting exercises in Decatur, which is in Wise County about 40 minutes northwest of Fort Worth. The exercises were overseen by 36-year-old Champagne.

Champagne began sexually harassing the recruit almost immediately, the complaint alleges, and eventually coerced her into a sexual relationship. After several months of escalating behavior — where Champagne, according to the complaint, tracked the girl’s location, forbade her from seeing other recruits and monitored her food intake — Champagne forcibly sexually assaulted the girl, the complaint says.

“I wanted space from him but was constantly fearful that he would explode,” the poolee wrote in the complaint.

When she tried to cut off contact with Champagne, the complaint says, he showed up at her house.

“Mr. Champagne had once told me that he knew how to commit murder and not get caught, so I was very worried that my family and I were in imminent danger,” she wrote in the complaint.

The poolee’s family called the police, the complaint says, and also reported Champagne to the Marines. The Marine Corps issued a military protective order that banned Champagne from contacting her, the complaint says. However, for months afterward, the complaint says, Champagne continued to contact her through social media and fake phone numbers.

“For a long time, her family was really scared — I think they’re still scared — of this individual and what he might do to them,” Dunn said. “For the entire period of time this was going on, (the recruit) was getting physically and emotionally sick over it.”

The federal complaint places the blame squarely on the Marine Corps for failing to protect the woman from abuse. The complaint alleges that other recruiters and Marine Corps supervisors should have recognized signs of Champagne’s inappropriate behavior and should’ve acted to stop it. The complaint also says that Champagne’s ex-wife had filed abuse claims against Champagne, before he was put in charge of the class of recruits.

“What happened to me was a result of (the Marines’) negligence and was entirely preventable,” the recruit wrote in the complaint.

The complaint filed Thursday is an “administrative complaint,” Dunn said, which is the first step in litigation under the Federal Torts Claims Act. The Marine Corps now has six months to investigate the claim and determine whether to deny it or settle it. If the Marines denies the claim or the two parties don’t reach agreement on a settlement, then the recruit could file a lawsuit.

Under the administrative complaint, the poolee and her attorneys are seeking $5 million in damages.