US sailor on trial for Darwin rape

A US sailor will stand trial in Darwin over the rape of a woman in a hotel room last September.

AN American sailor has been committed to stand trial over the rape of a Darwin woman.

The sailor, who cannot be named, appeared in the Darwin Magistrates Court on Friday, facing charges of sexual assault, indecent assault and depriving a woman of liberty.

The court heard the victim and two friends went out every night the USS Denver was in port in September last year.

After meeting them a few times at Monsoons bar in the CBD, the sailor took one back to a room at the Melaleuca Lodge for sex early in the evening on Wednesday, September 4.

Once they rejoined their friends at the bar, the woman said she saw the man dancing with the victim, who led him out of the bar in the direction of his hotel.

"She was drunk but well aware of herself, she knew what was going on," the woman said.

The third friend also gave evidence at the committal hearing, saying the sailor was "a good guy, he was really fun to be around with".

She said she saw him leave with the victim before receiving a phone call from her saying she had been raped.

"(He) tried s*** with me," the victim allegedly said.

"I said, 'what sort of s***?' and she said, 'rape'," the friend told the court.

The victim went back to the hotel room of another sailor she has been casually seeing, a friend of the accused, where she said she felt safe.

The following day she reaffirmed that she had been raped, the friend said.

"She said she was fighting him ... he finally took (his penis) out after about five to 10 seconds and said, 'please forgive me, you're such a beautiful girl, I have a family'," the friend's statement to police read.

Magistrate Elisabeth Armitage ruled there was sufficient evidence to commit the sailor to stand trial in the Supreme Court.

He has been bailed on his own recognisance, with prosecutor Matthew Nathan confirming the US Navy will assure he returns to Australia for his arraignment on July 14.