2 US sailors imprisoned for rape in Okinawa

TOKYO - Japanese local court on Friday sentenced two US sailors 10 years and nine years respectively in prison for raping a woman in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture last October, local media reported.

The Naha District Court in Okinawa gave a 10-year term to Christopher Browning, 24, and a nine-year sentence to 23-year-old Skyler Dozierwalker, according to Japan's Kyodo News Agency.

The two US servicemen raped a woman on Oct 16, 2012 in the central part of Okinawa's main island and resulted in physical injuries on the victim, according to the ruling.

It added that Browning also stole 7,000 yen ($76) from the victim.The two defendants had pleaded guilty.

The crime triggered strong opposition from local residents and the US Forces in Japan (USFJ) imposed a nighttime curfew on all of its personnel after the crime.

Offences and crimes by US servicemen often occurred in Okinawa, which hosts more than 70 percent of USFJ bases.