US Marine sentenced to 7 years over sexual assault in Japan
Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, was accused of choking a woman in her 20s while attempting to rape her in May 2024, according to Kyodo News. He pleaded not guilty and denied having sexual intent or using physical force against her.
Clayton's case is the latest in a string of criminal allegations against US personnel in Okinawa. The Okinawa islands, which hosts 32 US military facilities, including some of the largest US military bases overseas, have for years been the center of local protests against American presence.
Tuesday's ruling was handed down after prosecutors described the crime to be so dangerous and malicious that it could have endangered the victim's life, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Naha District Court Judge Kazuhiko Obata, who presided over the case, described the woman's testimony as 'highly credible' and containing 'a level of specificity and authenticity that would not be possible without her actual experience,' NHK reported.
'The woman was attacked … she believed she would die. Her mental anguish was so great that she is still suffering from the effects of the attack,' the judge added.
The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, reported the incident to the police and a friend shortly after it happened, according to Kyodo News.
Prosecutors in the case called for Clayton to be jailed for 10 years, but the defense argued for acquittal –– saying the woman's testimony had many questions and was unreliable, according to NHK.
In an email to CNN, 3rd Marine Division spokesman Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier confirmed Clayton's conviction.
'This behavior does not reflect the values of the Marine Corps nor does it exemplify the standards the overwhelming majority of our Marines uphold daily,' Engelkemier said.
He added the Marine Corps cooperated with Japanese authorities on the investigation and 'monitored the trial proceedings' without interference.
Clayton's case is among several recent incidents to draw scrutiny from local Okinawans include the case of a 25-year-old US serviceman, who in December was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping and raping an underage girl.
The incident took place nearly 30 years after three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old Okinawa school girl in 1995 –– which triggered backlash against the US military's presence.
The 2016 rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman by a former US base worker in Okinawa triggered mass protests in the islands' capital, with tens of thousands of residents demanding the US move its bases outside of Okinawa. The fallout resulted in curfews for US personnel on the island.
The Japanese government and the US Forces Japan in late April announced the creation of a new forum to 'enhance US-Japan cooperation' in Okinawa. A statement from the May meeting noted that a 2016 'Okinawa Orientation Overview' for incoming US personnel would be updated, and that more joint patrols, in areas outside of Okinawa, would be put in place.
A Pentagon report published in late April this year showed the number of sexual assault cases across the US military dipped by nearly 4% last year.
According to the report, there were 8,195 reported cases of sexual assault involving US servicemen in 2024, compared to 8,515 the year before. Senior defense officials, however, told the Associated Press that while the decline is a positive sign, the number of sexual assault reports is still too high.
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