Japanese journalist to appeal court order to pay damages in suit over alleged rape

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese journalist Noriyuki Yamaguchi said on Wednesday that he planned to appeal a court verdict ordering him to pay damages to reporter Shiori Ito in a civil lawsuit over her allegations he had raped her.

Yamaguchi told a news conference several hours after the court ruling that he had done nothing illegal and he was not convinced by the verdict. He said he would appeal in the near future.

A court in Tokyo earlier on Wednesday ordered Yamaguchi pay Ito 3.3 million yen ($30,375) in damages.

Ito, 30, had sought 11 million yen for her suffering after prosecutors declined to indict Yamaguchi following her complaint to police that he had raped her while she was unconscious.

Yamaguchi, who has repeatedly denied the allegations, had filed a counter-suit in the high-profile case, seeking 130 million yen in damages from Ito. The court on Wednesday ruled against his suit.

(Reporting by Ami Miyazaki, writing by Elaine Lies; Editing by Jane Wardell)