An American Marine whose alleged rape of a woman in Palmerston resulted in his team being locked down in Robertson Barracks has appeared in court for the first time.

A 20-year-old American, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with aggravated assault and sexual intercourse without consent following an alleged incident on Monday September 18.

His matter was adjourned until November 20 for preliminary examination mention, meaning the case could proceed to the Supreme Court. The rest of the Marines are due to leave Darwin in October

An American Marine has been arrested and charged after allegedly raping a woman in Palmerston, near Darwin in the Northern Territory.

A US Defence Force spokesman confirmed a 20-year-old Marine was arrested by NT Police and charged with aggravated assault and sexual intercourse without consent.

A NT Police spokeswoman said the 20-year-old’s arrest on Monday, September 18, was in relation to an alleged incident in Palmerston that same day.

It is understood that all Marines at the Robertson Barracks are unable to leave or allow visitors on base, with the US Defence Force spokesman saying there was a “restricted liberty status” at the base.

A series of investigations into alleged sexual crimes committed by US marines in and around Darwin have been quietly dropped by Australian and American authorities.

That decision raises questions about whether Australia and the US are doing enough to investigate claims of sex crimes, and echoes decades of international concern about the cover-up of those crimes by US military personnel serving abroad.

ADFIS began an investigation into an allegation of inappropriate behaviour that stalled.

"All ADFIS action in this matter has ceased due to jurisdictional issues," the report stated.

... it was possible Australian and US forces were more concerned about the military relationship than they were about properly investigating the allegations: 'ADF are actively attempting to keep it out of the public eye'

LAWYERS for a United States Marine who allegedly assaul­ted a massage parlour boss have accused the woman of fabricating a story and stealing the ­defendant’s phone in a bid to ensure she got paid.

Matthew Mueller denied allegations he threw Qin “Linda” Zhang to the ground at Pinnacle Massage, on Cavenagh St, in Darwin.

Defence lawyer Tom Berkley said the alleged victim had slipped over as she attempted to run away with his client’s phone during a reported dispute over payment for services.

“I put to you that he wasn’t asking for a refund – he was saying he had already paid and you wanted him to pay again,” he told Ms Zhang. “You took the phone from him ... to make sure you got payment.”

Ms Zhang gave evidence she picked up the mobile phone from a massage room floor after staff summoned her from nearby Nikko Massage to deal with a dispute about 2am on September 20, 2015.

Mueller had been unhappy with his first massage and switched girls, prosecutor Ian Rowbottam said.

Ms Zhang, through a Mandarin inter­preter, told Darwin Magistrate Elizabeth Morris that Mueller demanded a refund as she tried to explain his card had been declined.

She said he demanded she give back his phone, and gave evidence he was verbally abusive before he allegedly grabbed her and threw her to the ground – twice – where she banged her head.

Mr Berkley said: “I suggest to you the only time you hit the ground was when you fell over.”

Ms Zhang said she ran back to Nikko Massage and gave Mueller’s phone to police ­because she wanted them “to catch the guy who hurt me”.

Witness Ying-Yu “Zoe” Chen gave evidence she had seen the alleged assaults.

whatever happened, the message is clear: if it's a Marine's word vs a sex worker,...

A U-S sailor has been committed to stand trial in the Northern Territory Supreme Court after allegedly raping a woman in Darwin last year. The Darwin Magistrates Court has heard from two witnesses who spent time with the sailor at a city nightclub.

The following day she reaffirmed that she had been raped, her 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.