TOKYO, July 24 (Xinhua) - United States Marine Jose Torres admitted Thursday to charges of raping and beating a woman in southwest Japan's Okinawa Prefecture in May during the first hearing of his trial at Japanese local court.

　　Torres, a 21-year-old lance corporal stationed at the Marine Corps' Camp Hansen in the town of Kin, allegedly raped the woman on a narrow street in the town on May 25, according to Kyodo News.

　　He is alleged to have hit her once in the face and raped her while grabbing her hair and forcing her onto a staircase, the court said.

　　Torres initially denied the charges when he was arrested June 18, but later admitted to them.

　　He is the third serviceman the U.S. military agreed to turn over to Japanese police prior to indictment, based on a request from Tokyo.

　　The charge of rape resulting in injury can carry a minimum sentence of three years in prison and a maximum sentence of life.

　　Under the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which governs operation and management of US troops in Japan, the US military is not required to hand over personnel suspected of crimes to Japanese authorities until they are indicted.

　　But following the rape of a 12-year-old girl by three US servicemen in 1995, the US agreed to give "sympathetic consideration" to the handover of suspects in serious crimes, including rape and murder.

　　The crimes that currently qualify for sympathetic consideration by the US are murder, rape and "other specific cases." End