U.S. Marine gets 4 years in prison for 'abusive sexual contact'

Friday 16th May, 02:00 PM JST

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Sarge at 10:39 PM JST - 17th May

He's guilty of misbehaving. So is she. He gets 3 years in prison, she gets off scot-free.
yabits at 11:21 AM JST - 18th May

Thank you, scribe, for providing additional details. While there's no doubt a sexual advance was made, I don't believe it meets a reasonable definition of "abuse" or "molestation." The penalty, I believe, is largely the result of the climate created by a number of other, far-worse incidents. Yes, as VOR put it, the offence is blown way out of proportion. The Marine is paying a very heavy penalty for his improper though all-too-human conduct.
Nessie at 04:24 PM JST - 18th May

USNin, again the informed voice of moderation. Thanks for that. And Scribe, thanks for your post too. I stand by my post: no rape; definely abuse, definely worthy of courtmartial and jail time. Justice was served.

All you loli-con guys out there: remember, all that's standing between you and con is the loli. Stay away from the borderline chicks.
VOR at 06:25 AM JST - 19th May

yabita; twisting my words to fit your premise is just further proof of you are not looking at this matter objectively.

there are no such laws against being ungentlemanly or for being a self absorbed a-hole. these are merely personality shortfalls abusers of women and children possess.

as pointed out by scribe and others, Hadnott admitted he suspected this girl was very young, admitted he held her down, admitted sticking his hand down her pants. why keep defending the guy or question whether he is being treated fairly or not.

i concede that yes maybe somewhere else in the world he would have gotten a lighter sentence and yes the fact that this was a high profile incident, and that certainly factors into how this case was handled, but it was Tyrone Hadnott that elected to commit his crime in a politically charged environment and has no one else to blame but himself.

Hopefully he learns from his mistakes and gets his life back in order. For now, there is one less guy roaming the streets preying on young girls.
yabits at 08:27 PM JST - 19th May

Well, VOR, you obviously missed the part where we all agreed that the Marine was ungentlemanly. Unless you can point to where I claimed the Marine should get off scott-free, then I don't see how you're in any position to imply that you are more objective than others.

The Marine in question is 38 years old. Nowhere was any mention made about prior offences. So your statement that he was "roaming the streets" in order to "prey" on girls paints a picture that is unreal, tainted with emotion as it is. For all you know, the man lived his life pretty much "in order" until this one tragic moment of human weakness.

In my view, wishing upon this man the harm that will certainly come with the unjust penalty he received is worse than what the man **actually did **to the girl. He could not have completely lacked a gentlemanly instinct, or have been completely absorbed in himself, or else he would have gone MUCH farther instead of stopping. This fact clearly demonstrates that it was not his intent to do the girl harm. I certainly do not defend the man's actions the way that you are justifying the abusive punishment he received for them.
VOR at 06:27 AM JST - 20th May

yabits; i'm having a hard time responding to your retort as it completely mis-characterizes and falsifies my position and contains quotes attributed to me that are clearly not mine and whatever point you are trying to make is not clear.

If you are saying a 3 years sentence for this 38 year old US Marine who admitted he knew the girl was underage but still attempted to force himself upon her first at his residence then driving her to a remote location, sticking his hand down her pants, holding her down and kissing her against her will is excessive, then sir, I suggest you go back and read about the rape of a young Okinawan girl by 4 US Marines and tell me why the USMC should not treat Hadnott's sexual improprieties seriously.

Please read that paragraph a few times before responding, your comprehension skills not serving you well.
VOR at 06:41 AM JST - 20th May

raymasaki; quit being so reckless with your words, the occupation ended over 50 years ago and US Forces in Japan are invited guest who are here serving the common defense of both nations. US Forces in Korea serve under the UN flag so your last point is moot.

US service members committing crimes in Japan are handed over to Japanese authorities. Strict rules and regulations are in place so what are you saying?

Take a breather from that Nihongo and get more educated about US-Japan relations. It will help you when you run across xenophobes and after you realize you will never be accepted in Japanese society as an equal.
yabits at 07:25 AM JST - 20th May

VOR, the only quotes I used came directly out of your statement that there was now one less person "roaming the streets preying on young girls." Also, your statement that you hope the man gets his life back "in order." Those are all CLEARLY your words. If you are confusing the asterisks in a following sentence for quotes, that is because this comment form appears to put those in when bold font is requested.

I do believe that a four-year prison sentence for a sexual advance that the man stopped of his own volition is grossly excessive. Your bringing up a completely unrelated incident of crime is a non-sequitur. (Unrelated because Hadnott had nothing to do with that crime.) The girl in this incident withdrew her accusation and, in fact, no rape occurred.

I am quoting you again: There are ways for the USMC to treat what Hadnott did "seriously" but "seriously" does not require a four-year prison sentence. Not unless he had a prior record of offences of this type. If this was a first offence, the system did to him what he consciously refrained from doing to that girl. Those who would applaud that outcome are worse, in my opinion, than Tyrone Hadnott.
thundercat at 05:13 PM JST - 20th May

The girl in this incident withdrew her accusation and, in fact, no rape occurred.

You're really sure of that, aren't you? Do you know something that the rest of us don't? If you are basing your assertions on personal opinion, it would be wise to preface it as such. Saying that 'in fact, no rape occured' when you have no evidence makes your argument as illogical and irrelevant as someone who says 'in fact, rape occured' when there is no evidence.

Considering the fact that as much as 66% of rapes go unreported (in America) I'm surprised she even got as far as the original accusation. The fact that the accusation was withdrawn does not in any way support the guilt or innocence of Hadnott.
yabits at 06:37 PM JST - 20th May

thundercat: My assertions regarding the charges against Hadnott are not based upon personal opinion but upon the facts of the case, based upon the evidence presented pretrial and in court, and which were presented just as I stated.

Your quote, "The fact that the accusation was withdrawn does not IN ANY WAY support the guilt of innocence of Hadnott," is one of the more bizarre statements I've read in awhile. Like you yourself said in your first paragraph, an accusation of rape is irrelevant when there is not physical evidence to back up the charge. There was no physical evidence of rape in this case, or else the Japanese police would have pursued it as such. They did not. How likely is it that police would have ignored a rape of a 14-year-old girl if there was physical evidence to back up the charge? Hadnott did not rape her, and you can take that to the bank.

The (questionable) "fact" that two thirds of all rapes in the US go unreported is also irrelevant. Once the incident IS reported, we've gone beyond that particular threshold, now haven't we?
VOR at 08:03 PM JST - 20th May

yabits: I get your point now, you don't think Hadnott deserved 4 years for molesting a 14 year old girl even though he admitted to it and accepted the terms of the plea bargain. Boy I wish you were my friend.

I'm curious to know if you are basing your opinion on fact. Is there any data out there that shows what the average sentence is for people admitting to abusive sexual contact?

Since he didn't rape her, no harm no foul?

Hadnott really put himself in a tight spot that night. Hard for any clear thinking person to understand why he thought it was a good idea to pick up an underage girl, take her to his home, scare the living crap out of her with his sexual advances, take her to a remote area and stick his hand down her pants. How stupid of this guy for not understanding while stationed in Okinawa he was representing the US Marines, the United States of America, the American people and his poor heartbroken mother. How stupid of him for not understanding the jeopardy he put himself in for sexually abusing a minor and the ramifications of his actions on the girl he abused, service members and their families in Okinawa, the reputation of Americans in general and the diplomatic strain faced by the two nations.

All the harm he did, three years seems pretty light to me.
yabits at 09:09 PM JST - 20th May

Boy I wish you were my friend.

I think what you really mean to say here is that if you ever put yourself in a situation through human weakness and stupidity, and that people all around were blowing the thing way out of proportion due to prior events that you had nothing to do with and wanted to crucify you as an example to others, that you would want someone like me on your side. Well, all it takes is a dose of compassion and knowing the difference between genuine justice and vengeance.

All the harm he did, three years seems pretty light to me.

A year in a minimum security facility after a less-than-honorable discharge would have been more appropriate and just. The guy's personal life was falling apart prior to the incident, and it does not appear he had any previous incidents of trouble -- certainly not of this type. That does not excuse his actions, but three years of hard time in a maximum security prison is a gross abuse.

I do not know what the average penalty is for the extent of the abuse that Hadnott committed to the girl -- holding her down and touching her genital area through her clothes, which no doubt terrified her for a few minutes -- but his military-appointed attorney must have had legally-sound reasons to recommend a sentence of nine months, that I believe he/she would have had to support by citing prior cases of this type.

I believe that Hadnott made it very clear during his trial that he understands the extent of the harm he caused as a result of his actions. And he'll carry weight that for much longer than three years. But unless it can be shown that Hadnott had fully intended to cause that harm when he committed his actions, rather than committing them through human weakness and stupidity, seeking out the kind of punishment that was meted out makes the US and Marines look FAR more abusive and cruel than Hadnott's act.

I say this as a native-born American, ex-military, who has been married to a Japanese for over 30 years, and who is the father of a young daughter, and who has a son serving in the miliary now. I am ashamed to read of this travesty of a sentencing.

Yes, and I can expect some "smart person" to throw out how I'd feel if Hadnott had come after my daughter. So let me just say that in his horribly stupid manner of seeking out basic human affection, Hadnott ultimately showed more compassion for his victim in restraining himself to copping a feel (and in showing genuine remorse for his actions) than the people I read calling for his head or thinking he got off light.
VOR at 09:26 PM JST - 20th May

yabita; i can now respect your position even though i disagree with you. While extenuating circumstances most certainly factored into the sentencing, Hadnott brought this heavy load upon himself. Any crime committed by any servicemember here in Japan and especially in Okinawa will not be treated lightly. In this respect I agree with you, Hadnott's sentencing had less to do with the actual crime he committed and more to do with putting service members on notice. If the end result is a reduction in crime, Hadnott just took one for the team. What a guy.
KaptainKichigai at 09:20 PM JST - 21st May

yabits, you represented your opinon (one I share) extraordinarily. Vor, I respect your last post as well. I am sure the end result will be a reduction in crime which is a good thing.
Badsey at 06:06 AM JST - 23rd May

how about a lifetime as a "sexual predator" = he'll be on that list also (USA)