U.S. Marine sentenced to 7 years in Japanese prison for sexual assault
A Japanese court has sentenced a United States Marine to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa.
The case has intensified existing tensions and safety concerns on the southern Japanese island, which hosts a significant American military presence.
On Tuesday, the Naha District Court delivered its verdict against Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton, 22, from Ohio.
Clayton was convicted of attacking a woman in her twenties in Yomitan village on the main Okinawa island in May 2024.
The court found that he choked her from behind, sexually assaulted her, and caused her injuries.
Presiding Judge Kazuhiko Obata stated that the victim’s testimony, given remotely and anonymously, was deemed highly credible by the court, despite Clayton’s denial of the charges. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence.
Captain Kazuma Engelkemier, a spokesperson for the 3rd Marine Division, confirmed Clayton’s conviction in a statement on Wednesday.
He emphasized that the convicted 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 added that the U.S. military monitored the trial without interfering and fully cooperated with the Japanese investigation.
Clayton has remained in Japanese custody since his indictment following the allegations.
This case is among several sexual assault incidents reported last year where local authorities initially withheld suspect arrests, citing victim privacy. These actions drew criticism and accusations of cover-ups from the public.
Two other U.S. Marines are actively under investigation in Okinawa, after they were separately accused of rape earlier this year.
Okinawa continues to bear the brunt of the U.S. military presence in Japan. The island, which endured one of the most intense battles of World War II eighty years ago and remained under U.S. occupation until 1972, houses approximately 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan, despite accounting for only 0.6% of the nation’s land area.
This concentration leads to ongoing frustrations among Okinawans due to issues such as noise pollution, aircraft accidents, and crimes linked to U.S. troops.
Japan’s Defense Minister, Gen Nakatani, addressed these concerns directly with Lieutenant General Roger Turner, commander of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, during a meeting following the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa. Nakatani requested strengthened discipline and preventative measures.
There are increasing calls for a revision to the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which grants the United States jurisdiction over most incidents and crimes involving U.S. service members on Japanese soil.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet acknowledged on Tuesday that prosecutors have dropped criminal cases against over 300 U.S. service members between 2014 and 2024, including a sexual assault case in Okinawa in 2020.
Source: abc News
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