You hate to see the U.S. military uniform disgraced.
A Japanese Court has sentenced a U.S. Marine who was stationed in the country to 7 years in prison.
The Marine was sentenced to prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a woman near the base where he was stationed.
ABC News had the full scoop:
A Japanese court has found a U.S. Marine guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa and sentenced him to seven years in prison, in a case that has triggered anger and safety concerns on Japan’s southern island, which has a heavy American troop presence.
The Naha District Court said Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, of Ohio, was sentenced in the case on Tuesday.
Clayton was found guilty of attacking the woman in her 20s in the Yomitan village on the main Okinawa island in May, 2024, chocking her from behind, sexually assaulting her and causing her injuries.
In sentencing, Judge Kazuhiko Obata said the victim’s testimony, provided remotely and anonymously, was highly credible even though the defendant denied his charges brought by the prosecutors, who demanded 10 years in prison, according to Kyodo News.
“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,” Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier, spokesperson for 3rd Marine Division, said in a statement confirming Clayton’s conviction emailed on Wednesday.
22 year old African American marine Jamel Clayton has been sentenced to 7 years in prison for sexually assaulting & choking an Okinawan woman who invited him to her home.
I welcome this verdict as it shows the US military are not above the law even if you are black. pic.twitter.com/t4xbUyCYBJ
— 🇯🇵 Colonel Otaku Gatekeeper 🇯🇵 (@politicalawake) June 25, 2025
Here’s how Japanese users on X, responded:
Another black man sentenced in Japan for seven years. Marine Lance Corporal Jamel Clayton, aged 22, strangled a woman, who he did not know, and t*rtured her in Okinawa last May. pic.twitter.com/5TMIPo2xh6
— Asian Dawn (@AsianDawn4) June 24, 2025
I thought this story sounded familiar.
Kenneth Shinzato 2017
Jamel Clayton 2025 pic.twitter.com/RO6XfyesdR— Mike Honey 🔞 (@PunishedAsian) June 25, 2025
Stars and Stripes had more details on the trial:
According to the indictment, Clayton choked the woman, unbuttoned her pants and attempted to sexually assault her in the village of Yomitan on May 26, 2024. The woman sustained injuries to her eyes and mouth, prosecutors said. She testified on June 3 in Naha District Court that she met Clayton on Gate 2 Street in Okinawa city. Clayton followed her into a taxi and then to the home she shared with her boyfriend, a U.S. airman, in Yomitan village, she testified. Once inside, Clayton found her boyfriend asleep and moved with the woman to the entryway, where he strangled her multiple times, causing her to lose consciousness, she testified. She said he tried to unzip her pants but stopped when she resisted, then masturbated behind her. Clayton testified June 5 that he was invited to share the taxi and into the home. He said they hugged before he left after she refused to share her contact information. The court gave credence to the woman’s testimony, with Obata citing photos of bloodspots in her eyes as consistent with the attack she described. Obata also cited the text message she sent to her friend after the incident as supporting evidence. He dismissed defense attorney Kotaro Ito’s arguments that Clayton could have been framed, saying no evidence supported the claim that her boyfriend committed the crime out of jealousy. “This court hopes that you will reflect on your actions and not commit the same crime when you return to society, and that you will live a long and peaceful life,” Obata told Clayton. Ito plans to meet with Clayton next week to determine whether to appeal the decision, he told reporters following the sentencing.
Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/branches/marine_corps/2025-06-24/jamel-clayton-trial-okinawa-sexual-assault-18223087.html
Source – Stars and Stripes
Join the conversation!
Please share your thoughts about this article below. We value your opinions, and would love to see you add to the discussion!