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A Japanese court sentenced U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, to seven years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s in Okinawa in May 2024.
The Naha District Court found Clayton, from Ohio, guilty of choking and injuring the victim during the attack in Yomitan village. The case has sparked outrage and renewed safety concerns on the island, which is home to a large U.S. military presence.
Judge Kazuhiko Obata ruled the victim’s anonymous, remote testimony was credible, despite Clayton’s denial of the charges. Prosecutors had sought a 10-year sentence.
Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier of the 3rd Marine Division confirmed the conviction, stating Clayton’s actions “do not reflect the values of the Marine Corps.” He added that the U.S. monitored the trial without interfering and fully cooperated with the investigation.
Clayton had been in Japanese custody since his indictment. His case was one of several sexual assault incidents last year where arrests were initially withheld to protect victim privacy, sparking public backlash and cover-up claims. Okinawa, which was under U.S. occupation until 1972 and saw one of WWII’s bloodiest battles, hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities in Japan, despite making up just 0.6% of the country’s land. About 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact.
In case you’re wondering, the person convicted in this case is (now former) U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, pictured below in a shoot house in Korea in 2024 https://t.co/psHY3oehun pic.twitter.com/VK2iHyChc6
— VDARE (@vdare) June 24, 2025
Frustration is growing in Okinawa over the U.S. military presence, which locals blame for noise, pollution, accidents, and crimes involving American troops. At Monday’s 80th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani raised concerns with Lt. Gen. Roger Turner over recent sexual assault cases, urging stronger discipline and prevention. Calls to revise the Status of Forces Agreement are mounting, as it grants the U.S. primary authority over many incidents on Japanese soil.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet also revealed prosecutors dropped over 300 criminal cases against U.S. service members from 2014 to 2024, including a 2020 sexual assault in Okinawa.
