Japanese judo Olympic champ Masato Uchishiba charged with rape - More Sports on Astini News
TOKYO (AP) -- Japanese prosecutors have filed rape charges against two-time Olympic judo champion Masato Uchishiba
Tokyo prosecutors said the 33-year-old Uchishiba was formally charged Tuesday. He's accused of raping a teenager at a hotel in September after intoxicating her with an alcoholic drink and taking advantage of her inability to resist. Her identity is being withheld because she is a minor.
Police arrested Uchishiba in early December. He has denied the accusation, saying the sex was consensual. If convicted, he could face more than three years in prison.
Uchishiba won gold medals in the 66-kilogram class in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. He has since retired from competition, and was fired as a judo coach in September by a university over sexual harassment allegations.
Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
