Four members of the British Royal Navy have been charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm, after an incident which allegedly took place at CFB Shearwater near Halifax.

Craig Stoner, Darren Smalley, Joshua Finbow and Simon Radford were arrested late Thursday evening. Each suspect is charged with one count under the Criminal Code of Canada -- with all the charges related to a single victim.

Speaking outside court Friday, Crown attorney Scott Morrison says the men are alleged to have participated in a "group sexual assault."

The alleged victim is a young woman and a civilian from the Halifax area. Her name is protected by a publication ban.

Morrison said bail terms are being discussed and the men are scheduled to return to court on Monday to continue those negotiations. In the meantime the men are being held in custody.

The four accused were part of a British Navy hockey team that was in the Halifax area for a tournament. The alleged crime is said to have occurred at a post-game party inside barracks at 12 Wing Shearwater on April 10.

In a statement released Friday, the British Ministry of Defence confirmed four members of the Royal Navy had been charged. The statement said the ministry would provide all "appropriate assistance" to Canadian authorities but said it would be premature to release more details at this time.

"The Royal Navy takes allegations of this nature very seriously, however as legal proceedings continue it would be inappropriate to comment further," the statement said.

No Canadians are believed to have been involved in the incident.

The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service, which is part of the military police, began investigating the alleged crime on April 10.

“This is a disturbing accusation of sexual assault,” Lt-Col. Francis Bolduc, the commanding officer of the CFNIS, said in a news release.

“I’m pleased with the full cooperation provided by the British authorities to support the hard work and diligence of the CFNIS team in responding to this matter.”

The British High Commission in Ottawa would not comment on the charges Friday. It referred all media inquiries to the U.K. Ministry of Defence in London.

With files from The Canadian Press