Sex assault scandals put unprecedented pressure on Pentagon

By David Alexander and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A rash of scandals discrediting the U.S. military's efforts to stamp out sexual assault is putting unprecedented pressure on Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to consider options that once appeared off limits to address sex crimes in the armed forces. On Tuesday, the military disclosed that another one of its advocates for victims of sexual assault was himself being accused of sex crimes, including allegations linking him to prostitution. Hagel, in his initial response, ordered the retraining and recertification of U.S. …