U.S. airman convicted of rape

The incident sparked protests in Okinawa

NAHA, Japan -- A U.S. airman has been convicted of raping a Japanese woman and has been sentenced to 32 months in jail by a court in Okinawa.

Timothy Woodland, a staff sergeant stationed at Okinawa's Kadena Air Base, went on trial last September, charged with raping a woman in her 20s in a parking lot outside a popular nightclub in June.

Woodland pleaded not guilty to the allegations, claiming that he had consensual sex with the woman.

However, the woman -- who has not been identified and testified via video hook-up -- denied she agreed to sex and hoped Woodland would be sent to prison so she "would never have to see him again."

The airman was tried at the Naha District court in Naha, Okinawa's capital city, because the crime allegedly occurred off-base and under Japanese jurisdiction.

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He faced a maximum of 15 years in prison and prosecutors had demanded a three-year sentence.

A U.S. Air Force statement said that Kadena Air Base officials have fully cooperated with Okinawa and Japanese government officials in the investigation.

"The Japanese judicial system has rendered its decision. Kadena officials continue to fully cooperate with the Japanese authorities as outlined in the Status of Forces Agreement and respect their judicial decisions," the statement said.

Protests

The incident sparked protests in Okinawa among locals, already resenting the presence of tens of thousands of U.S. troops stationed there.

Local residents have been extremely sensitive over crimes committed by military personnel.

In the past, the rape of a local schoolgirl by three American servicemen in 1995 sparked huge protests.

Although the Woodland case did not create a similar uproar, sensitivities were high -- particularly after U.S. officials originally refused to hand Woodlands over to Japanese authorities.

The intense media coverage surrounding the case also brought pressure on the Japanese government to review its agreement with the U.S. over the way criminal investigations are handled.

Currently, U.S. authorities hold servicemen convicted of crimes until formal charges are made.