A US Air Force base in Okinawa voiced regret Monday over the alleged molestation of a 10-year-old girl by a US airman in the city of Okinawa on Sunday, according to Kyodo News.

Okinawa Gov. Keiichi Inamine called the act by Air Force Sgt. Armando Valdez a "serious crime."

Valdez, 27, was arrested by the Japanese police on suspicion of molesting the elementary school girl in a parking lot in the city. The police said Valdez was drunk when he committed the act.

"The type of behavior alleged is completely unacceptable," Brig. Gen. Jan-Marc Jouas, commander of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base, was quoted as saying in a statement.

The air force said in the same statement that it is committed to ensuring appropriate actions are taken against individuals who commit crimes, and is cooperating fully with the Okinawa police and all government agencies involved.

In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said the incident was "quite regrettable," and that the Japanese side had asked US army to prevent such incident from happening again.

At a prefectural assembly session in the morning, Inamine said he can never forgive the act as it violated the human rights of the victim.

The governor plans to send senior officials to the air base to file a protest.

Source: Xinhua