Briefly: U.S. Marine sentenced in 'rape' case

IWAKUNI, Yamaguchi Prefecture--A U.S. general court-martial here Friday sentenced a 20-year-old Marine to two years' confinement and a dishonorable discharge for "wrongful sexual contact and indecent acts" against a teenage girl in Hiroshima last October.

But the lance corporal, based at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni and aged 19 at the time of the incident, was cleared of rape and kidnapping charges.

According to base officials, he will have his confinement reduced to one year as he testified in a plea bargaining against three other Marines also accused in the alleged sexual assault case.

The girl, aged 19, originally said she was gang-raped by the four servicemen, but Japanese prosecutors dropped the case due to insufficient evidence.(IHT/Asahi: May 10,2008)