Japan jails US marine for seven years for sexual assault in Okinawa
Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton, 22, attacked and choked the woman from behind and tried to have sex with her, the Naha district court in Okinawa said on Tuesday. The woman, in her 20s, had reported the assault to the local police as well as a friend shortly after it took place in May last year.
The US stations about 54,000 troops in Japan and more than half of them are deployed in the Okinawa archipelago, which also hosts 70 per cent of the American military bases in the Asian country.
Presiding judge Kazuhiko Obata said the soldier's behaviour was 'so dangerous that it could have threatened her life and was highly malicious'.
The court noted that blood spots found in the woman's eyes after the assault matched a forensic scientist's findings that such an injury could only be caused by compressing the neck continuously for one to two minutes. Her injuries took two weeks to heal.
The prosecutors had sought 10 years of jail for the accused, Stars and Stripes, an outlet covering US military news, reported.
The marine had denied the charges and his defence pointed to the woman's 'intoxication' and inconsistencies in her testimony during a trial earlier this month.
However, the presiding judge ruled the victim's evidence was trustworthy as she had reported the incident to police immediately and sent a message to her friend detailing the incident which matched her testimony.
The court said Clayton had assaulted the woman for sexual purposes, The Japan Times reported. "The emotional pain she felt, including fear, was tremendous," the presiding judge said, according to the newspaper.
The judge asked Clayton to deeply repent his action in prison and spend a quiet life after getting out.
The US relinquished control of Okinawa and returned the prefecture to Japanese ownership in 1972 but retained a heavy military presence. It currently has an estimated 30,000 soldiers stationed in Okinawa.
Last year, Okinawa residents and the island's governor, Denny Tamaki, said they had long complained about accidents and crime related to the foreign military bases as they expressed anger over a lack of disclosure.
In June last year, Japan's government protested to the American embassy over at least two sexual assault cases involving US servicemembers on Okinawa. One, it later turned out, was the case involving Clayton. In the other, an airman was accused of assaulting a 16-year-old girl in December.
In 1995, the rape of a 12-year-old by three US servicemembers sparked massive protests against the American military presence on Okinawa.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Nigerian migrant, 31, squares up to judge as he appears in court accused of groping two women while staying in taxpayer-funded hotel
A Nigerian migrant has appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting two women when he was staying in a migrant hotel in London. Olusola Kamson, 31, allegedly groped two women on two separate occasions in Islington, north London, on August 7 and August 12 this year. The defendant, who had been staying at the Thistle City Barbican hotel, appeared at Highbury Magistrates' Court wearing a grey prison tracksuit and flanked by three prison guards. Avnita Bhudia, defending, said: 'I have spoken to the doctor, and Mr Kamson was seen by the mental health team in court, assessed under the Mental Health Act. 'Unfortunately, the mental health team have left the court building today, and there is insufficient information as to where Mr Kamson could be taken if he is sent to hospital. He will have to be sectioned and sent to a hospital at a later date.' Kamson interrupted and shouted: 'What about an A&E department? I have never signed anything with her. I don't know who she is.' Magistrate Gerry Teague had told Kamson: 'Please stand up. We do not have enough information to deal with your case.' Kamson interrupted, and shouted: 'Can I talk to my embassy please? I don't know who she my lawyer is.' He then squared up to Magistrate Teague, by putting his head on the glass panel. He then shouted: 'Give me an opportunity to speak. I have never seen the lawyer in my life. Why is she representing me?' As he was led to the cells, Kamson shouted: 'Just watch.' Kamson appeared at Highbury Magistrates' Court again on Tuesday for a plea hearing, but his case was adjourned again, and no pleas were entered. He will next appear at Highbury Magistrates' Court on September 9, 2025 for a plea hearing.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Migrant, 26, is found guilty of groping three women while riding bike to car wash job from his taxpayer-funded hotel
The bicycle-riding resident of an asylum hotel near Gatwick Airport has been found guilty of groping three different women as he rode past them to and from his car. Qais Al-Aswad, 26, committed the attacks along the same bike path in Hortey, Surrey over a three week period. He approached the first woman after she had left the pub with her mum, 'slapping her bottom from behind' at around 9pm on May 23. Al-Aswad 'grabbed hold and squeezed her bottom' of a second woman at around 9pm on June 4. Eight days later on June 12, Al-Aswad passed a third woman on his bike and 'grabbed her crotch and vaginal area' at around 10.45am. Footage showed the riding a purple pedal bike while wearing distinctive jackets, trainers and an Air Jordan rucksack. District Judge Julie Cooper convicted Al-Aswad on all three counts and remanded him in custody until October 1 for a pre-sentence report. 'These are sexual offences and I need to know more about you before I can sentence you,' she told him. 'The same bike was used, the person wore your trousers and your camouflage and two-tone jacket that were found at your place,' the judge announced. 'Your phone shows you at the sites the attacks took place and your distinctive backpack was worn and the same method of assault was employed on each occasion.' Prosecutor Mr Alan Balneaves told the trial: 'The first charge is at approximately 9.00pm in Consort Way, Horley when the complaint was walking with her mother away from a local pub. 'This is the same route this defendant takes from Horley train station to his home at a hotel. 'There is CCTV that follows part of that route and it shows a person on a bike approaching the complaint from behind and slapping her bottom. 'The cyclist was wearing a rather distinctive camouflage jacket and blue greenish jeans and a black hat.' The prosecution case is the bike and clothing, plus the clothing linked to subsequent assaults along belong to Al-Aswad. 'This first complainant did not see the person approach and by the time the assault is made she does not get a good look as the person rides off,' added the prosecutor. 'CCTV at Horley train station shows this defendant in the same jacket and trousers.' The complainant told the court she had just left the Jack Fairman pub and was walking along the pavement with her mother, with CCTV showing the incident. 'Out of nowhere a guy cycled very close and slapped my bum and said: 'excuse me.' I did not see his face. He was wearing a camouflage jacket. 'At the time I was shocked. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before and it made me feel violated. It was from behind and I had no idea he was approaching.' Mr Balneaves said the second assault on June 4 occurred just after 9.00pm. 'She was walking along the same route as the first complainant and the rider approaches from behind and grabs and squeezes her bottom. 'There is footage from the street CCTV and Horley train station. 'We can see he is wearing rather distinctive trainers and there is phone cell site analysis that puts his phone in the area.' The court heard Al-Aswad was wearing the same trainers and had the rucksack when hotel CCTV recorded him leaving for the car wash that morning at 5.46am. The woman who had just left Horley station told the court: 'I was walking along on the pavement and all of a sudden there was a gentleman to my left on a bike. 'He squeezed my left bum cheek and rode off. It was quite a shock and I shouted a couple of swear words. 'The cyclist turned and looked at me and I stuck my finger up at him and he did the same to me, smiled and rode off.' The third assault was on June 12 at around 10.45am, when Al-Aswad insists he was at the car wash. 'A bike rider appears from the front and as he approaches and is about to pass he grabs her crotch vaginal area,' said the prosecutor. 'There is compilation CCTV of him riding his bicycle that shows him wearing his distinctive trainers, Air Jordan backpack and a two-tone jacket.' The woman told the trial she was near Waitrose in Consort Way. 'I had just left a shop to meet my partner and daughter and got my phone out when I became aware of a cyclist on the pavement. 'The cyclist was coming towards me and as the cyclist went past he reached down and touched my vagina. 'I turned around and shouted at him and as I shouted they stopped, looked around and he kissed his hand that he just touched my vagina with. 'I was shook up instantly. It all happened really quickly and I was caught off guard. I got one glance and could not see his face really because of his hand.' Earlier, Al-Aswad, wearing HMP Wandsworth-issued grey sweat pants and grey t-shirt, told the court: 'I left my country. I left my wife and kids in the camp and seek safety,' he said via an Arabic interpreter. 'I want to know what you are going to do with me today. I want to know that if I am found guilty, how am I going to see my wife?' During the trial, he denied he was the cyclist captured on CCTV, insisting: 'I have not assaulted any women. I have not assaulted anyone or kissed any women. I was at work.' He was identified via his distinctive Adidas trainers, but claimed: 'They are my trainers, but all of them borrow my trainers. This is not me.' Before the trial Al-Aswad was complaining from the dock: 'I want to see the people who complained about me. I have not done anything wrong. 'I have a lot of friends that use my clothes and use my bike. I have got a homeless friend from Egypt who climbs in through my window and I give him clothes. 'It has been two months for me in prison and I don't understand why I am in prison. I want to get out of this.' Al-Aswad was found guilty today following large protests outside the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel near Gatwick Airport on Saturday, August 2.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Migrant, 26, who sexually assaulted THREE women while cycling home from work to asylum hotel is found guilty
A MIGRANT has been found guilty of sexually assaulting three women while cycling home from work to his asylum hotel. Qais Al-Aswad, 26, committed the heinous attacks over a three-week period along the same bike path in Horley, Surrey. 2 The first woman had left a pub with her mum before he approached her from behind and 'slapped her bottom' around 9pm on May 23. He approached a second woman from behind and 'grabbed hold and squeezed her bottom' around 9pm on June 4. Al-Aswad passed a third woman on his bicycle and 'grabbed her crotch and vaginal area' around 10.45am on June 12. CCTV showed the migrant wearing distinctive jackets, trainers and an Air Jordan rucksack while riding the purple pedal bike. Al-Aswad was arrested on June 19 and the same clothing was recovered during a search of his room at the Four Points By Sheraton Hotel in Horley. All three victims, whose identities are protected after being sexually attacked near a Waitrose car park, bravely gave evidence today at his trial. The first woman, aged in her 30s, said: 'Out of nowhere, a guy cycled very closely past me and he slapped my bum and said excuse me as he did so. 'I didn't see his face. He was wearing a camouflage jacket. 'I was shocked. This has never happened to me before. It also made me feel violated that someone thought they could touch me inappropriately.' The second victim, aged in her 50s, said: 'I was walking along when all of a sudden there was a gentleman next to me on a bike who grabbed my left bum cheek and then cycled off. 'I was shocked so I shouted out a couple of swear words. The cyclist turned around and looked at me. 'I stook my finger up, he did the same back to me and smiled before cycling off.' The third woman, aged in her 20s, said: 'As the cyclist went past me, they reached down and touched my vagina. I turned around and shouted at them. 'They turned around and looked at me and kissed the hand that they had just touched my vagina with. 'I was shaken up instantly. It all happened incredibly quickly so I was caught off guard and just wanted to get back to my partner and daughter.' Al-Aswad was caught on camera wearing the same matching clothing as shown in the CCTV capturing all three attacks. Analysis of his mobile phone also put him in the area at the time, Staines Magistrates' Court heard. Alan Balneaves, prosecuting, said: 'It's identification through clothing, same bicycle, similar route, cell site analysis and of course the same mode of assaulting each person.' In a police interview, Al-Aswad confirmed he was working for an Albanian man at a car wash near London Bridge. He would leave his four-star hotel around 5.40am before returning by train and on his charity-gifted bike around 9pm. The tracksuited migrant denied three counts of sexual assault by touching, claiming he was working with his cousins at the time of the offences. He also claimed the man in the CCTV wasn't him by suggesting his friends had access to his clothes and bike too. Speaking through an Arabic interpreter, he pleaded: 'I haven't done anything wrong. 'I haven't assaulted any women and I haven't kissed anyone. 'I left my country. I left my wife and kids in the camp and I seek safety in this country.' District Judge Julie Cooper found him guilty of all three offences and remanded him in custody at HMP Wandsworth for sentencing on October 1. It follows a large protest outside the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel near Gatwick Airport on Saturday August 2.
