OKINAWA  –  A US serviceman was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping and raping an underage girl last year, an official from Naha District Court on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa told CNN. The sentence was made on the grounds that the crime was a “major sexual infringement,” Judge Tetsuro Sato of Naha District Court said on Friday, according to public broadcaster NHK. “The girl’s testimony that she told her age by gestures and other means is sufficiently credible from the security camera footage,” the judge said. “The defendant was aware that the girl was under 16 years old. The defendant was aware that the girl may have said ‘stop’ and may not have consented. Given the relationship and age difference between the two, who had never met each other, it is a crime of great sexual violation that stands out for its maliciousness.”

The US Air Force member, Brennon R. E. Washington, was indicted on March 27 on charges of “non-consensual sexual intercourse” and “indecent kidnapping” after he was discovered to have taken a 16-year-old Japanese girl to his residence last December and sexually assaulting her, Japanese prosecutors said. The US military handed the 25-year-old serviceman over to Japanese authorities on the same day. He was later released on bail and transferred to Kadena for custody, a government spokesperson told CNN. His trial began on July 12. “We are heartbroken and deeply regret the damage done to the victims and their families,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Nicholas Evans, commander of Kadena Air Base, told local media on Friday. “Sexual assault is a serious crime and in no way reflects the values of US military personnel.” The incident is the latest in a history of criminal cases involving US personnel in Okinawa, home to several US military installations. It could exacerbate tensions with residents who have long opposed the presence of American troops and weaponry on the island.

It also comes nearly 30 years after three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old Okinawa schoolgirl in 1995, sparking a backlash against the US military on the island. In 2016, the rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman by a former US base worker in Okinawa triggered mass protests in the island’s 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. In another crime involving US personnel in Japan, a US Navy officer killed two Japanese nationals while driving down Mount Fuji in 2021.

Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki told reporters in June this year that the allegations of rape and kidnap against Washington were “extremely regrettable,” adding it was necessary “to strongly protest against the US military and other related organizations.” The governor also said his office will “take a tough stance in dealing with the situation.” “We understand and share the local community’s concerns regarding this case,” 18th Wing 1st Lt. Alvin G. Nelson III, spokesperson for the US Air Force 18th Wing at Kadena, told CNN earlier this year, adding that wing leadership was “deeply concerned by the severity of this alleged crime” and has been working with local authorities to investigate the allegations. “All US service members are expected to uphold the highest standards, and the US military is committed to holding accountable those who are convicted of criminal acts,” Nelson said. (CNN)

Photo: Kadena Air Base in Kadena, Okinawa. (Reuters)