Pentagon still struggling with child sex assaults by 13-year-old boy at Kadena base

Once again, "help" is just what he doesn't need. Help implies sympathy and he really doesn't need that. Help also implies psychiatry/psychology/medication and he needs that even less. He needs to change his behaviour and change his attitude and drugs and counselling are not going to do that.

The mighty Pentagon ‘struggling’ to rein in a 13 year old boy?

Give me a break.....

So you only read the headline I see.

The mighty Pentagon ‘struggling’ to rein in a 13 year old boy?

Give me a break.....

"After World War II, the United States also understood the strategic importance of using foreign assistance and other tools to aid and rebuild post-war Japan. Between 1946 and 1952, Washington invested $2.2 billion — or $18 billion in real 21st-century dollars adjusted for inflation — in Japan’s reconstruction effort.

Thanks for proving my point.

There’s a legal question here that was just touched on in the story: if this happened on a US base in a US state or territory then it could (should?) be handed over to civilian authorities—but here Okinawa is a Japanese territory. Can a US citizen—even a 13-year old—be prosecuted by non-US authorities for actions that happened to another US citizen on what’s considered US territory (a military base), unless there’s some legal agreement in place with local authorities? More than that, what is Japanese law in cases like this?

One thing I cannot argue is that the military has had a long standing problem with dealing with sexual assault cases. Fortunately it sounds like this is now being taken seriously.

To the people who are saying the boy has been sent back to the US to be free to molest more children, the article only said he and his family have been sent back, not that there are no consequences. Trust me, the military won't be done with this. They just have no recourse in Japan to deal with it.

This kid is going to be a burden on society, forever.

Not defending the 13 year old boy, but I'm not sure what the parents of the victims hope to achieve. They won't get far prosecuting a minor - especially one at that age.

Looks like the future Guantanamo guardians are trained in this base.

Lawless and impunity guaranteed!

Demand US bases are removed from Japan.

The boy needs to take sx ed classes or go to a mixed bathing area for curiosity. Too much pent up curiosity among other things... Can't really give the kid a magazine, as his preference is forbidden. As for the "more violent" comment, molesting usually means touching and massaging in a sxual manner. Rape is more violent, mutilation even more so, and finally death.

As a former military brat and hell-raiser in my own right (although nothing to do with pedophilia), I remember when I was constantly warned that serious misbehavior on my part would earn my father a D.R. (demerit rating) that could result in his being passed over for promotion. One had to be especially careful not to beat up a kid whose dad outranked your own. I guess the system worked well enough, and we learned about taking responsibility for our actions.

Thirteen years old and a life style essentially ingrained and fixed for life. Best to employ the shunning response and be prepared for ever increasing more deplorable acts

@ commanteer - let me guess, you don't have young children. I sure wouldn't want this perv in my town.

You guessed wrong. Nobody would want this kid nearby, but that's not the issue. He is a child.

He doesn't need "help," he just needs whatever it takes for him to learn that this is NOT OK!

More than likely, he does need help. Your second sentence about the parents may be closer to finding what's up. I would want someone to check out his home situation very carefully. That said, you can't know that the parents were responsible for this. Some psychopaths come from perfectly functional families. But obviously, the family situation would be the first thing to check out.

He doesn't need "help," he just needs whatever it takes for him to learn that this is NOT OK!

I'd also be very curious about his parents and the way they brought him up. They are not without responsibility.

@ commanteer - let me guess, you don't have young children. I sure wouldn't want this perv in my town.

@ kuro - do I have to explain? the term "more violent" when referring to possible future events means what he's doing now is already violent, but likely to get worse.

The whole family were kicked out of the base.

Sheesh. Some of the comments above seem to ignore that the boy himself is just a child. He's a screwed up 13 year old who needs help, not prison. Not at this point in his life. Possibly, the right help can turn him around. At 13, he certainly deserves that chance.

> But he will keep offending until he's caught in the States and imprisoned. I hope that happens before he graduates to more violent crimes.

Sexually assaulting / molesting 2 to 7 years old girls (or boys) is not a violent crime ????? this is an horrible trauma.... this is so sick :/

But he will keep offending until he's caught in the States and imprisoned. I hope that happens before he graduates to more violent crimes.

Guess I should guess I should have finished reading the article. The family and the offender are already back in the States good luck Prosecuting that

"Justice has been elusive" for two reasons. One, Japanese authorities do not want to take this case. And two, base authorities do not have the power/authority to prosecute or punish dependents of military members. But the base commander does have the authority to kick the offender off the base.

Don't ask your daughter about what happened and don't engage deeply if she raises it.

This is deeply troubling. My daughter is home now, breaking up with her college boyfriend and preparing to move to LA, and we talk deeply, frequently. She likes talking to me. That is being a responsible parent. Never sweep even a single partical under the rug.

How does this go on continuously and go unreported?

Furthermore, if this cases are typically referred over to civilian courts, then why was the boy allowed to leave the country and essentially escape justice while seemingly telling the parents that they will receive nothing for their grievances or even have an attempt to hear from the accused?