A 25-year-old U.S. Air Force serviceman in Okinawa Prefecture pleaded not guilty on Friday to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a minor — a case that has angered local residents and risks putting a dent in U.S.-Japan relations.
Brennon Washington, stationed at the Kadena Air Base, said in his first trial hearing at the Naha District Court that he did not kidnap or sexually assault the girl.
The defendant's lawyer said that Washington thought the victim was 18 years old and that she had consented to his advances.
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