U.S. Marine in Okinawa gets 7-year term over sexual assault
A Japanese district court on Tuesday sentenced a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa Prefecture to seven years in prison for a sexual assault committed in May 2024, concluding that the victim's testimony demonstrated a "high level of credibility."
Lance Cpl Jamel Clayton, 22, who pleaded not guilty in the case, was accused of injuring a woman in her 20s by choking her while attempting to rape her. He denied having any sexual intent or using physical force against her.
In handing down the ruling, the Naha District Court's Presiding Judge Kazuhiko Obata described the victim's account as "precise and authentic," while noting that she reported the incident to both the police and a friend shortly afterward.
Obata also said bloodspots found in her eyes after the assault matched a forensic scientist's assessment that such symptoms appear only when the neck is compressed continuously for at least one to two minutes.
Clayton's lawyer said the defendant is considering appealing the ruling. Prosecutors had demanded 10 years in prison.
According to the ruling, Clayton choked the woman from behind in Yomitan, Okinawa, on the morning of May 26 last year and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her by unbuttoning her pants. She sustained injuries to both eyes that required about two weeks of treatment.
The southern prefecture hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan, and anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members.
© KYODO
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A Japanese district court on Tuesday sentenced a U.S. Marine stationed in Okinawa Prefecture to seven years in prison for a sexual assault committed in May 2024, concluding that the victim's testimony demonstrated a "high level of credibility." Lance Cpl Jamel Clayton, 22, who pleaded not guilty in the case, was accused of injuring a woman in her 20s by choking her while attempting to rape her. He denied having any sexual intent or using physical force against her. In handing down the ruling, the Naha District Court's Presiding Judge Kazuhiko Obata described the victim's account as "precise and authentic," while noting that she reported the incident to both the police and a friend shortly afterward. Obata also said bloodspots found in her eyes after the assault matched a forensic scientist's assessment that such symptoms appear only when the neck is compressed continuously for at least one to two minutes. Clayton's lawyer said the defendant is considering appealing the ruling. Prosecutors had demanded 10 years in prison. According to the ruling, Clayton choked the woman from behind in Yomitan, Okinawa, on the morning of May 26 last year and attempted to have sexual intercourse with her by unbuttoning her pants. She sustained injuries to both eyes that required about two weeks of treatment. The southern prefecture hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan, and anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members. © KYODO
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