KADENA AIR BASE, Okinawa — A 21-year-old Kadena airman was sentenced Tuesday to 45 days in confinement and a reduction in rank to E-2 after pleading guilty to having inappropriate relationships with two 14-year-old girls.

Airman 1st Class Joshua A. Crabb of the 18th Munitions Squadron pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty, two specifications of abusive sexual contact with a child and indecent liberties with a child in connection with several encounters with the teenagers between November 2007 and May 2008.

The girls are Air Force dependents.

In one incident, Crabb allowed one of the girls to spend the night in his base dorm room, violating an Air Force policy that prohibits guests under 18 unless a commander has granted permission, according to court testimony.

The two met at a bowling alley on Kadena, and the girl later introduced Crabb to a friend.

Crabb admitted to kissing and embracing the second girl during a consensual make-out session in his car on base.

According to court testimony, the second girl had told Crabb of a prior sexual history with Airman 1st Class Nathaniel DaSilva, who had been in Crabb’s squadron.

DaSilva was dishonorably discharged in July and is serving a three-year sentence for having consensual sex with minors.

The Uniform Code of Military Justice prohibits servicemembers from having sex with teenagers younger than 16.

Under Crabb’s pretrial agreement, prosecuting attorneys sought four years of confinement, a dishonorable discharge and a reduction in rank to E-1. Prosecutors said Crabb’s knowledge of the girl’s history with DaSilva aggravated the situation, and that Crabb should have used better judgment.

At the time of Crabb’s relationship with the girl, DaSilva was in pretrial confinement for the sexual encounter that took place in February 2008, prosecuting attorneys said.

During an unsworn statement before military judge Col. Mark Allred, Crabb apologized and said his decision to befriend the two teenage girls was wrong, but that he connected with them and liked the attention.

"I liked hanging out with people who looked up to me," Crabb said.

Crabb will serve his confinement on the island and may have to register as a sex offender in his hometown in Wisconsin, said paralegal Tech. Sgt. Mary Madison of the 18th Wing.

Crabb enlisted in the service in 2006 and arrived at Kadena Air Base the following year.