MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan — An Iwakuni Marine pleaded not guilty during the opening of a court-martial Tuesday to charges of raping and kidnapping a 19-year-old Hiroshima woman.
But Lance Cpl. Larry A. Dean admitted to the court Tuesday he had sex in a public parking lot with the woman, fraternized with superiors and drank alcohol while underage. He is the first of four Marines to face trial for the alleged gang rape of the woman in Hiroshima in October.
Dean’s court-martial will continue through the week with witness testimony and the presentation of evidence.
Three other Iwakuni Marines also are to be prosecuted in courts-martial in coming weeks — Gunnery Sgt. Carl M. Anderson, Gunnery Sgt. Jarvis D. Raynor and Sgt. Lanaeus J. Braswell. All have been confined at the air station since the incident.
Dean faced 25 years and six months in prison, demotion, dishonorable discharge and the forfeiture of all pay and benefits. But a plea agreement will limit the amount of time he can spend in jail and the punishments he can receive, according to judge Maj. Charles Hale.
As part of the agreement, Dean admitted to the other charges.
In exchange, he will assist in the prosecution of the other Marines and agreed to testify at their trials, Dean said.
Dean has been confined 172 days since he disobeyed liberty policies and left the air station for the night to party in a club district of Hiroshima with Braswell, Raynor and Anderson.
He was 19 years old at the time and said he illegally drank beer bought by Braswell, who was his boss, before meeting with the gunnery sergeants and traveling to Hiroshima.
Dean said neither he nor Braswell had permission to be off base between midnight and 5 a.m. They had planned to stay out until after 5 a.m. and return to avoid punishment, Dean said.
The alleged victim of the gang rape testified in February that she left a club to have consensual sex with Braswell in a vehicle and the others entered the vehicle.
Dean said the men were drinking and took the woman to a parking lot in a residential area where he had sex with her in a public place while the others were watching.
The woman said she was raped at least five times by the Marines.
The accused
¶ Lance Cpl. Larry A. Dean, 20, enlisted in 2006 — pleaded guilty to fraternizing with superiors, underage consumption of alcohol, disobeying liberty policy and having sex in front of other servicemembers and in a public place; pleaded not guilty to rape and kidnapping charges.
¶ Gunnery Sgt. Carl M. Anderson, 39, enlisted in 1987 — charged with conspiracy; failure to obey an order or regulation; rape, sexual assault and other sexual misconduct.
¶ Gunnery Sgt. Jarvis D. Raynor, 34, enlisted in 1991 — charged with conspiracy; failure to obey an order or regulation; rape, sexual assault and other sexual misconduct; and larceny.
¶ Sgt. Lanaeus J. Braswell, 25, enlisted in 2002 — charged with conspiracy; failure to obey an order or regulation; false official statements; rape, sexual assault and other sexual misconduct.
Source: U.S. Marine Corps
