US marine jailed in Japan over sexual assault
James Clayton, 22, who pleaded not guilty, was accused of choking and attempting to rape a woman in her 20s last year in Okinawa, according to Kyodo News and other local media.
The Naha District Court on Tuesday sentenced Clayton to seven years in jail for 'the crime of causing injury by attempting to have non-consensual sexual intercourse', a spokesman for the court told AFP.
Presiding judge Kazuhiko Obata described Clayton's behaviour as 'so dangerous that it could have threatened her life, and highly malicious,' Jiji Press reported.
Prosecutors had sought a 10-year prison term.
Clayton's lawyers argued that he had not used physical force against the woman but 'only hugged her and left', the Yomiuri Shimbun daily reported.
The defence is considering appealing the ruling, the reports said, citing Clayton's lawyer.
Relations between the US military personnel stationed in Okinawa and the local community have long been fraught.
Last year, 80 people connected to the US military were charged for various crimes committed on the subtropical Japanese island.
This included eight serious cases, such as robbery and non-consensual sexual acts, a police officer told AFP. The number is reportedly the highest in 30 years.
The 1995 gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US soldiers prompted calls for a rethink of the 1960 pact allowing the United States to station its troops in Japan.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
French researcher faces new Russia espionage charges
MOSCOW: A French researcher who is serving three years in a Russian prison is now being investigated for espionage, according to a court filing seen by AFP on Wednesday. Documents showed that Laurent Vinatier is facing a new court hearing on August 25 on espionage charges, which carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Vinatier, who worked for a Swiss conflict mediation organisation, is one of a number of Westerners who have been arrested in Russia since diplomatic tensions soared over Ukraine. The French government has demanded that Moscow release him and accused Russia of taking Westerners hostage. He was found guilty in October last year of gathering information on the Russian military and of violating its 'foreign agent' law, as he did not register as one. The 'foreign agent' law has been widely used against domestic Kremlin critics. Vinatier worked as an adviser with the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, and is a veteran researcher on Russia and other post-Soviet countries. He said in court that in his work he always tried to 'present Russia's interests in international relations'.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Love at first food delivery
Compiled by TAN SIN CHOW, DIVYA THERESA RAVI AND R. ARAVINTHAN DURING a delivery in Shenyang, Liaoning province, a Chinese food delivery rider encountered an American woman, with whom he bonded instantly and ultimately married. Oriental Daily reported that Liu Hao met Hannah Harris from Alabama, United States, when she ordered food in November last year. Harris worked as a teacher at a local kindergarten. Upon delivering the food upstairs, Liu encountered Hannah in the elevator, sparking an instant connection that felt akin to a romantic encounter. He recalled: 'It was my first time meeting a foreigner, and I did not know how to greet her. 'The only English words I knew were 'Hello, I love you', and that was what I said. She replied, 'I love you, too'.' They then started chatting through the food delivery app and eventually exchanged contact information, beginning their relationship a week later. During winter, Harris often accompanied Liu around the city while he delivered food, offering him warmth and support. Liu said, 'Although we do not understand each other's language, our hearts are the closest.' In January this year, Liu bought a ring and proposed to Harris, and the latter accepted. In March, they held their wedding in his hometown of Fushun, Liaoning province. Liu met Harris' parents via video call and praised his wife for being very understanding, adding that she did not ask for a car, house, or dowry. The couple mainly relies on translation apps to communicate and is learning each other's languages. Harris learns five Chinese phrases a day, while Liu learns five English words. > Sin Chew Daily reported that a nine-year-old girl in China stole her neighbour's safebox, smashed it open with a brick and used the cash to buy snacks. The child who lives in Zhengzhou, Henan province, had earlier gone over to play and, upon leaving, carried the safe box from the living room. She then proceeded to carry it down 15 floors using the stairs. The victim discovered the safebox was missing and immediately checked the surveillance footage, which showed the girl lugging the safebox down the staircase. 'It is unbelievable. She did not even take the elevator. She walked down 15 floors carrying the safe box,' the victim said. Reports said the girl later used a brick to smash the safe open, taking out more than 20,000 yuan (RM11,763) in cash, along with three informal debt acknowledgement documents. She then gave around 1,000 yuan (RM588) to her older brother and used the rest to buy a large amount of snacks. The victim confronted the girl, who returned just over 3,000 yuan (around RM1,764) on the spot. The remaining money and the debt documents were still missing. The girl's parents admitted that her behaviour was inappropriate and expressed willingness to negotiate a compensation. (The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Trump deploys three warships off Venezuela amid drug crackdown
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is deploying three warships off the coast of Venezuela as part of efforts to curb drug trafficking, a source familiar with the move said on Wednesday. The deployment comes as the Trump administration steps up pressure on Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, last week doubling its bounty on drug charges against the leftist strongman to US$50 million. The three Aegis-class guided missile destroyers are heading to the waters off Venezuela, the US source told AFP on condition of anonymity. US media reported that Washington was also planning to send 4,000 Marines to the region. Washington, which does not recognsze Maduro's past two election victories, accuses him of leading a cocaine trafficking gang called Cartel de los Soles. The White House said on Tuesday that Trump would use "every element" to stop drug trafficking, when asked about the possibility of US boots on the ground in Venezuela. "President Trump has been very clear and consistent, he's prepared to use every element of American power to stop drugs from flooding into our country and to bring those responsible to justice," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Leavitt described the Venezuelan government as a "narco-terror cartel." "And Maduro, it is the view of this administration, is not a legitimate president, he is a fugitive head of this cartel who has been indicted in the United States for trafficking drugs into this country," she added. Maduro said on Monday that he would be deploying 4.5 million militia members across Venezuela in response to US "threats." --AFP
