Marines hit with $10 million claim in alleged sexual assault at Bay Area recruiting center

Jason Green, The Mercury News on Oct 22, 2026

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SAN JOSE, Calif. — A woman who says she was sexually assaulted by a Marines recruiter in Sunnyvale when she was just 17 years old has filed an administrative complaint against the military branch, alleging that it failed to properly hire and supervise the recruiter.

Filed Wednesday, the Federal Tort Claims Act complaint also alleges the Marines failed to properly implement policies and procedures to prevent recruiters from preying on potential recruits.

The victim, identified in the complaint as Jane Doe, is seeking $10 million in damages.

The Marines did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday night.

The complaint alleges the recruiter, Jorge Lara-Pedroza, met Doe two years ago at an event at her high school and arranged for her to meet him at a recruiting center in Sunnyvale.

Doe expected to learn more about a career in the Marines when she arrived at the center on Oct. 28, 2024, but Lara-Pedroza instead sexually assaulted her for nearly six hours in his office, according to the claim.

The complaint further alleges Lara-Pedroza threatened Doe, telling her that if she reported the assault it would ruin both of their military careers. Doe, however, told a school official the next day.

Lara-Pedroza was arrested on suspicion of felony crimes, including arranging to meet a minor with intent to engage in sexual conduct, according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.

Lara-Pedroza spent the rest of 2024 and 2025 in jail awaiting trial, according to the claim.

“Shockingly, while recruiter Lara-Pedroza was in jail, the Marines discharged him for relatively non-serious misconduct that had occurred before my assault so that he would not have to face a court martial for his sexual assault of me,” Doe said in the complaint.

According to the claim, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office entered into a plea deal with Lara-Pedroza that did not require him to serve any additional time in prison.

Lara-Pedroza was also placed on probation and ordered to register as a sex offender. However, as of Wednesday, he was not publicly listed on the California Sex Offender Registry.

The complaint alleges the Marines knew Lara-Pedroza had faced prior allegations of sexual violence when the military branch allowed him to recruit students from Doe’s school.

In addition, the Marines should have known Lara-Pedroza was violating policies intended to prevent sexual misconduct, including one that prohibits recruiters from having conversations with potential recruits behind closed doors, according to the claim.

“Recruiter Lara-Pedroza flagrantly violated these rules on Marines property, including confining me in his office for nearly six hours with the doors closed and window blinds drawn,” Doe said in the complaint.

“The Marines, which was charged with supervising recruiter Lara Pedroza, should have taken notice of his brazen, rule-breaking conduct on the day he assaulted me at its recruiting office.”

The military branch will have at least six months to investigate the claim, after which Doe can file a lawsuit in federal court, according to Sanford Heisler, the law firm representing Doe.

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