U.S. airman arrested in Okinawa for illegally entering private office

   A U.S. serviceman stationed in Okinawa was arrested on March 2 on suspicion of illegally entering a private office near a U.S. military base while he was on an outing in violation of a 24-hour curfew the U.S. forces in Japan imposed following the sexual assault by a U.S. Marine on a 14-year-old schoolgirl.

   On March 2, the Okinawa City Police arrested 21-year-old Wesley Kevin Taft, a U.S. airman stationed at the U.S. Kadena Air Force Base. After climbing over a 2-meter fence of the base, he allegedly broke into a construction association office in the city. Taft, who was drunk at the time, later admitted to the charges.

   The U.S. forces on Okinawa on February 20 imposed the curfew on all U.S. military and military related civilian personnel in Okinawa.

- Akahata, March 3, 2008