US marine jailed in Japan over sexual assault

A Japanese court sentenced a US marine to seven years in prison, a spokesperson for the judiciary said Wednesday, in the latest sexual assault case involving American military personnel.

Jamel 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 Разположен в Окинава и локалната общественост от дълго време са изпълнени.

Миналата година 80 души, свързани с американските военни, бяха упрекнати за разнообразни закононарушения, осъществени на субтропичния японски остров.

Това включва осем съществени случая, като обир и несъгласни полови актове, сподели полицейски чиновник на AFP. Съобщава се, че броят е най-високият за 30 години.

1995 година изнасилването на бандата на 12-годишно момиче от трима американски бойци провокира апели за преосмисляне на пакта от 1960 година, допускащ на Съединените щати да слагат своите войски в Япония.