US soldier denies accusation of sexual assault

Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, July 12 (Jiji Press) — A U.S. soldier stationed in Okinawa Prefecture pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of kidnapping a girl under 16 in Japan’s southernmost prefecture and engaging in non-consensual sexual acts.

At the first hearing before the Naha District Court, 25-year-old Brennon Washington, who is based at the US Air Force Base Kadena, stated that he was innocent and had neither kidnapped nor sexually abused the girl.

According to the indictment, the defendant is accused of driving the girl from a park to his home on December 24, 2023, and sexually abusing her, including touching her lower body, even though he knew she was under 16 years old.

He was charged after Okinawa police referred him to the Naha District Prosecutors’ Office in March this year. Police initially did not publicly announce the case, citing the need to protect the victim’s privacy.

Since the case came to light in late June, a number of sexual abuse cases involving US soldiers have come to light in Okinawa – where most US military bases in Japan are located – sparking strong reactions from the Okinawan population.

(Copyright: The Jiji Press, Ltd.)