WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US Navy serviceman Kristian Saucier pleaded guilty in a federal court to taking photographs of classified spaces of the nuclear attack submarine Alexandria, the US Department of Justice said in a statement on Friday.
"On at least three separate dates in 2009, [Kristian ] Saucier used the camera on his personal cellphone to take photographs of classified spaces, instruments and equipment of the USS [United States ship] Alexandria, documenting the major technical components of the submarine’s propulsion system," the statement noted.
The Justice Department explained that when the photos were laid side by side, they "provided a panoramic array of the maneuvering compartment" where the ship’s propulsion system is operated.
Saucier, a Petty Officer First Class, retained the photographs and destroyed his laptop computer, camera and memory card when originally confronted with the evidence, the statement noted.
Saucier is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19 and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
