crime

57-year-old Saitama tax chief arrested for taking pictures of naked 9-year-old girl

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A 57-year-old man arrested under a Saitama Prefecture public nuisance ordinance last month - accused of taking pictures of a naked 9-year-old girl as she was playing in a river in Hidaka City – had his case referred to the District Public Prosecutor’s office in Kawagoe on Monday, police said.

Police said the suspect, who heads the Saitama City resident tax department but whose name has not been publicly released, is accused of taking pictures with a digital camera of the girl as she played naked with a friend in Koma River in Hidaka City on April 11. Another man noticed him taking pictures from behind a bridge pylon on the riverbed and called police. The caller kept an eye on him until police arrived.

Police found several pictures of the naked girl in the camera and said the man told them he had come to the river to take pictures of girls. Police searched his home and found more than 100 photos of young girls naked or in underwear, believed to have been taken at Koma River over a number of years.

Saitama City officials told police the man explained to them in late April that he had gone to the river to take pictures of cherry blossoms, and that while his actions may have been careless, he did not think they were illegal.

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Good ol' Japanese media always thinking of the public. A government official arrested two weeks ago for alleged pedophilia and it makes news today...

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Worst of the worst here. Nice to see a tax man go down like this.

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Another one for Los Saitama! And this guy is filing our tax returns, hope he washes his hands (lol).

Seriously, this guy is out of luck, the argument of "not thinking his actions were illegal" is no defence. Lock him up for being the voyeur/ped he is. Along with many other parents of small children, this sort of rock spider sends shivers down my spine. Don't know if there are a higher percentage of such scum in Japan than in other countries, however, they certainly come out of the woodwork in Summer. Anyway, I hope the police have the bottle to name and shame this guy. Also putting his reputation around the prison population (if he goes to prison) will do wonders for his health.

Actually ran into a similar chap down the local park last year taking photos (from behind a bush) of the small kids skinny-dipping in the fountain. After scaring the hell out of him by introducing my dog to him (bit of intimidation), the chap decided it was better to erase all the photos he had taken. We still called the cops, however, and got him arrested. The local plod described the chap as a serial offender.

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Naturally, the man will be blamed for giving into temptation, but those who threw temptation in his face will get a free pass, at the cost of our tax money, which will be soaked up by this case.

I think the parents should be facing some charges in this one. They played with fire, and are lucky the man stopped at taking pictures. What if he had grabbed one and hauled her off into the woods?

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Sadly, for every one that gets caught there are another thousand lurking in the bushes. It is part of the culture to be a sexual pervert and it should be no surprise this nut didn't think his actions were illegal. Jaopan is the world leader in child porn, after all.

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he did not think they were illegal.

Unfortunately, they have only been illegal since 1999. Prior to that, child porn was OK. It is still legal to possess child porn in Japan it is only now illegal to produce it or distribute it commercially.

It's a sad world we live in.

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Nowhere does the article mention the specific law that was broken, or the charge – except to indicate that he was a public nuisance. If child nudity cannot be photographed in a public place, then surely the nudity itself should not be allowed. Why were the parents not also arrested? And even the observer who called police, since surely he saw the nakedness too.

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I would also highly recommend parents to not allow their 9 year olds to play naked in public. Long gone are the days of small town community rising of children in Japan. The freaks are everywhere, trust no one. Sad to have to live in fear but better safe than sorry. Being a member of a town anti-crime federation myself, I also took a ped to the police box with 6 angry screaming mothers with pitch forks and torches in tow....He won’t be back....Zero tolerance for this type of behavior...

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Your tax money at work.

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another loser. all pedophiles should be arrested for lives. he is not only a pedophile but a stalker too.

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I agree, lock the dirty bugger up for life, the dirty old man.

Men like this disgust me. My husband may look at nude pics, which i dissaprove of, but at least they are of fuly grown women.

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Not that I particularly condone this guy's actions, pretty creepy IMO, but what law(s) has he broken? So a child is playing naked in/around a river, in public, in plain view of anyone passing by, which is evidently an acceptable situation/behavior, but a person who takes a photo of this seemingly innocent scene can be arrested? Is it because he didn't know the girl personally? Is it because he was photographing from under a bridge? Because he's done something similar before? If I see someone chaging their baby's diaper and I take a photo of the naked baby does that constitute child pornography? I'm obviously no expert on this issue but I would think any lawyer representing this man would have a pretty strong case arguing that his actions weren't pornographic in any way and that any determination to that effect would be a subjective one and not objective. I sincerely doubt that the law clearly dictates what is and what isn't criminal action in a case like this. Just google-image 'naked kid playing' and see how many non-pornographic photos you find of nude children. I think it'll be tough to draw a clear line between those photos and the ones this man took because the proof is not how he took them but what showed up on the resulting photos. Again, don't care at all for what this guy was doing but I don't believe that it's as much of a slamdunk case as some here seem to think...

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Ah, a politician! Time for a 'suspended sentence'!

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I'm obviously no expert on this issue but I would think any lawyer representing this man would have a pretty strong case arguing that his actions weren't pornographic in any way and that any determination to that effect would be a subjective one and not objective.

Good luck on arguing that to a jury. This old man was found with over 100 photos of young naked children. Perhaps you're right; maybe he's just got a more open-minded sense of what "art" is. Maybe he's the Japanese version of Annie Liebovitz. (BTW, even her pics of a nude Miley Cirus caused a stir not too long ago.) But 99.9% of old men in possession of photos of naked children are not doing it to prepare for a museum exhibition.

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Naturally, the man will be blamed for giving into temptation, but those who threw temptation in his face will get a free pass

leave it up to reliable likeitis to blame the parents. After all, what man can't resist being aroused by a 9 year old child, eh?

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at least someone called the police. there is hope.

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Is it legal to run around naked or not?

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what man can't resist being aroused by a 9 year old child

Nowhere did I see any indication that he was aroused.

It would be nice if children – yes even 9 year old girls, could play and swim naked if so inclined, without being exploited or at risk of predators. Childhood should have its pleasures, and being naked should be one of them.

In my mind – what was wrong here is surreptitiousness and repetitive behavior. So should one want to take that same photo – of children playing in a river, it should be OK so long as it is taken openly and it is an occasional photo.

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Well these creeps get their thrills because some people don't know when to instill the modesty into their children. 9 years old naked in a river? That's sick in itself. Didn't the parents teach her modesty? Not excusing this creep either but I think not only he should be punished. The parents also need a good slap up side the head.

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combinibento

This old man was found with over 100 photos of young naked children.

And all of these photos were evidently taken at the same river, of children playing there in the nude. Again, photos of naked children playing in public is child pornography?

Good luck on arguing that to a jury.

First of all, there is no jury. And secondly I think his lawyer can argue a pretty good case. His client is taking pictures at a river, in public, in the open. He could argue that he has a right to take photos of the river and it isn't his responsibility if children habitually play there in the nude. We don't know exactly what his photos look like, but all I'm saying is that it would be hard to make an objective legal distinction as to which are and are not pornographic.

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naked in a river

Hey, I am all for a complete ban on clothing - because it is clothes, not nakedness that causes creeps to be creeps. If nudity were all around them, they would have nothing to be creeped over.

One pleasure as an adult is in seeing children at play, and that pleasure is not diminished if the children are au natural. Surreptitious photography is the sin here - not the nudity.

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hoserfella - In Japan, not many aparently.

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This story has good timing. Last night around 7:00pm I was on the Yamanote line heading towards Ikebukuro. I was sitting and the train wasn't very busy. I saw a man sitting next to a high school girl. He eyes were focused on her. And she was squirming around. He put his foot next to her. Then this sick bastard tried to look up her dress. At that I had had enough and stood up, went over and punched him on top of his head. (As his head was down trying to look up her skirt.) I screamed at him in Japanese and told the girl to move to my seat. At the next stop he ran off the train. Sick people are everywhere. People DEFEND CHILDREN. If more people were observant perhaps we wouldn't need these all women train cars etc. Time to treat these people like scum and take action. Everyone on the train last night defended my actions. This guy I hoped learned something. (but probably not.) I hope that someone else pops people like this.

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USNinJapan2, you're right to the extent it may be hard to objectively judge whether these pics were pornographic or not. To quote US Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart on the difficulties of determining whether porn is porn, "I know it when I see it."

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I think swimming and tanning naked is no problem. The human body is not perverted and people should have some rights not to be prayed upon. That said if someone by accident catches a glimpse of a naked body by accident, no fowl. But this guy was going to the river with the purpose to take photos of naked children. Sick! There is a huge difference between just a fun shot and hundreds of photos and him hiding in the bushes taking photos. This is a crime. As for being naked in public, let's ask SMAP. :>

People who think Japanese have western modest behavior, please just look around at: Naked Festivals, Onsens, Outside Public Baths, and Taxi drivers relieving themselves everywhere and anywhere. Japanese don't have the hangups about being naked as western values. But that said there is a time and place for everything. Rivers and Beaches should be ok to be naked. Europeans seem to have no problems with it.

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noborito you are my hero for that train incident. Hope the creep needed a change of undies too after that.

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noborito, it seems like you did a good job with this guy on the train, but please be careful as you also risk being arrested. anyway, i wish i had been there to see that.

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I think the parents should be facing some charges in this one. They played with fire, and are lucky the man stopped at taking pictures.

your most ridiculous comment yet

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Saitama is back in the news, in its usual fashion.

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This guy was there to get material so he could fap away, no doubts.

It might be a public area, but the simple fact is that if you take photos of anyone who's naked, you're violating their privacy. Yes, they might be out in public, but if they're too young to really know better, the onus is on the photographer.

I think anyone who searches their feelings and asks 'Would I like that guy looking at pictures of me in the buff in his home?' will realise the truth to this. And it effectively means that no, he doesn't have a right to photograph what he sees in public if it constitutes a breach of someone's privacy.

Note that I'm not saying you can't take photos of a couple strolling under the cherry blossoms or having an argument. But there's a line between capturing something human and something intimate in which you are not included.

Off-topic a bit, now. But this guy has way too many photos to call it an accident. Sicko.

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Everyone says "there is a line between" looking and taking photos, or leting yuor kids bathe in public or bathe naked or whatever. Issue is how does everyone agree where that line is?

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In the States letting kids bathe naked could get the parents in trouble for neglect, etc.

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Noborito, you are one lucky guy. Most cases like yours backfire and it is the one who comes to defend another J that gets into trouble. Correct me if I am wrong anyone out there.

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I was out somewhere and there was a boy approx 7 years old frolicking naked in a fountain. I thought it was a great scene and wanted to photograph it (I fancy myself a photographer). Despite not being attracted to boys, especially children, I felt guilt for even wanting to take the photo! This is crazy, but had I taken the photo I'd likely be in jail. Of course, if my girlfriend took it we'd likely be in the clear. After all, who is the victim of nude photos? No one!

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"public nuisance ordinance"

WTF....? They don't already have laws against child pornography..?

So the same Anti-Nuisance ordinance they use to arrest people taking pictures on a train is the same law they use for child pornography..?

More ridiculous crap...

You just can't use common-sense when trying to understand Japanese Laws...

So let me get this straight, if I fail to register my bicycle and get stopped riding my bike, that will carry a penalty greater than this pedophile for having or distributing child porn...

Sure... it makes complete sense...@#$%*!

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HAHAHA!

At the start of the article I wanted to give the guy the benefit of the doubt.

At te end of the article... there is no doubt.

String him up.

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japan... the country of ojiichan pervs...

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That the guy is perverted, there is no question. But is he really doing any harm? At 57 years old, he apparently hasn't ever harmed any little girls. Just taken their photos. In the US recently, a guy was given more time in jail for having a kiddy porn collection, then if he had actually gone out and molested kids. I think this idea is upside down. While I think taking pictures of kids like this is undeniably wrong, I don't see how it harms anyone, particularly if they don't share those photos with anyone. I just wonder, have things gone too far in the child protection department? When girls can be arrested and charged with making and distributing child porn, for taking a picture of themselves, and then showing it to their boyfriend, I think it has.

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John Carpenter's Escape from Saitama

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goldsounds: Actually, your girlfriend would not be in the clear and would be lucky to even make it to the police box in my town. The authorities know that it is quite common for the perv groups to keep a low profile and use bimbo women to obtain child photographs which sell for high Yen in the geek districts of Tokyo, and in online trade...

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USNinJapan2 so taking 100pictures of naked kids is normal??? if he took one or 2 while on the beach, but hiding behind a pylon?

when i am in a park making pictures of it, having a few pictures with kids in it is not suspicious but even then making a 100 pictures of thekids would be strange.

on a side note why is his name not published? normally a suspects name is plain to see here

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I don't like these camera freaks taking pictures of my kids clothed or naked. A lot of them don't seem to understand that parents don't want any strangers taking pictures of their kids.

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Molenir at 02:48 PM JST - 12th May

We have more disagreements than agreements I think, but on this one, you are head and shoulders above your peers.

I see comments about common sense in this thread mixed with ideas about charging people not for what they did, but merely their INTENT, even if that intent harms no one. Which would still put someone like Goldsounds in a whole lot of trouble until his home and computer hard-drive could be thoroughly searched and give us a guess about, not what he did, but what is going on in his mind!

This guy gives me the creeps, yes, and he is cause for concern. But many here don't seem to realize that as staunch advocates of thought police and jail sentences not for what they do but for what they are, they are EVEN MORE creepy and EVEN MORE a cause for concern. FAR more.

People like this guy did not magically appear in the 80s you know. So dispense with the good old days crap. They have been with us for all time. They just did not have cameras. And generally, they physically harmed no one then either.

Psychological harm is debatable. But if you KNEW you would be upset by someone taking pictures of your kids naked, and you let them run around that way, you bear more responsibility for your own psychological damage than any one else.

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HypnotiqOne: japan... the country of ojiichan pervs...

...still preferable to the continents of the kidnapping and murdering pedo rings....

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So we all agree that crossing the line from taking innocent photos of kids and taking pornographic photos of kids is very, very different. So what are we going to do about this loophole in Japanese law? This is a good place to start with writing letters, lobbying etc the lawmakers to get the law changed. Comeon peoples, we can write for this discussion forum, how about putting your talents together and helping to change Japan's unambiguous child porn laws!

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over 100 pics taken by this scumbag over a number of years. How many kids has he possibly molested? Search his PC, keitai, etc. Also it's funny to see the faux concern of certain posters here for kids when at the same time sweating the fact that another comrade has bit the dust..

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The more I think about it, this is a pretty interesting case. 9 times out of 10, the reason these old perverts are villified are because they are the ones undressing the youths in order to photograph them. However, here the guy knows there is a river where, for some baffling reason, pre-teens like to come and swim in the nude... These kids have NO right to privacy because it is in public. He is just photographing them, which creates all sorts of nasty implications. But is he legally wrong? But let's pretend he was just staring. Like, for a long time. Just as sick perhaps, but is this any less socially reprehensible than photographing them? Interesting.

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WTF....? They don't already have laws against child pornography..?

not in japan actually. last 1st world country left that doesnt.

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dennis0bauer

so taking 100pictures of naked kids is normal??? if he took one or 2 while on the beach, but hiding behind a pylon?

No I don't think it's 'normal' either but it's problematic to prosecute someone when there's no applicable law that defines what is and isn't 'normal'. You agree that one or two photos is okay and I agree with you that 100 is not, depending on the nature of those photos. But where is the cut off? 75? 43? 17? What if he also took the one or two photos while concealed, like this guy did? The law doesn't stipulate and so it becomes a subjective call and that's a problem because folks (just like those posting here) don't conveniently agree what's acceptible and what's not. I think this combined with the fact that the photos were taken in public in broad daylight from a distance is the reason why he's only been charged with violating a public nuisance ordinance and not any child pornography laws. Like it or not if the prosecutors office tried to prosecute this guy for child pornography his defense lawyer would have no problem exhonorating him.

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I am coming around to USNinJapan2's logic... I mean, in terms of coming up with a plausible legal defense of this oyaji, here is the argument: If it is socially acceptable in Japan for nude 9-year-olds to play in public, it should arguably be socially acceptable to photograph them. Whether it is 1 photo or 100 photos. Just like it is socially acceptable to rubberneck when you drive past a fatal auto accident. ("Socially Acceptable" here means it is not criminal behavior, although it may be distasteful.)

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hoserfella, you are one of those dudes who just protests too much, and when your type joins up on shows like "To Catch a Predator", we should all bear in mind that they have loads of child porn saved on hard drives labeled "evidence", and ask you again why you want to join up.

Also it's funny to see the faux concern of certain posters here for kids

What is funny is you thinking you have the slightest idea that anyone is truly concerned or not from posts on the internet. You are one presumptive dude. Is it really going to kill you if you do as I have suggested to you many times, and engage the arguments instead of blindly attacking people's character?

I would think that one who "truly cared" would be willing and able to put forth rational arguments and make sure they got it right, instead of going with their gut on everything a so wildly swing a sword as to slash friend and foe alike.

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I don't blame taxman to take photographs. Let all of us parents be reminded that we shouldn't allow our children being naked in public place. This is like looking for serious sexual trouble. The world is going mad about Sexism, and the only way to prevent this issue is 'EDUCATING PARENTS.' SEXISM is more dangerous than H1N1; it couldn’t be prevented by law enforcement and justice system. Jus walk around in any city in the world and you will see how young people are dressed and their behavior without respect towards other. If t he law doesn't permit to take photos of young girls than punishment should be given to parents and their children to exposing their bodies in public. Taxman should get suspended sentence in such case.

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So is the guy guilty of breakin' any Japanese laws or not?

The police arrest way more folks than they actually charge.

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they belong to prison. Just imagining such men exist makes me sick.

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LoveUSA: they belong to prison. Just imagining such men exist makes me sick.

They belong in prison? Because they make you sick? Well, that attitude makes me sick...

Now, don't you think you might want to come up with more solid reasons to put people in prison?

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abusing the privacy of anybody is a criminal deed. Plus taking photos of naked 9 year old girls is disgusting and if he is arrested it is a criminal offence according to Japanese law.

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LoveUSA, how is taking a photo in public, during the daytime, in a river open to anyone, abusing the privacy of anyone? You have no right to privacy even in your own car when you are driving, because people can see through the windows. So it is no crime to photo someone outside in the public, and taking your clothes off does not automatically grant you a right of privacy simply becuase your privates are visible. But you're right, it is downright disgusting and hopefully possessing the cache of photos of naked children will, under the totality of the circumstances, amount to some sort of crime.

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Yes, defending a creepy man is quite creepy

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LoveUSA: abusing the privacy of anybody is a criminal deed.

There is no privacy at a river on public land.

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if he is arrested it is a criminal offence according to Japanese law.

I thought that if it is a criminal offense that he could be arrested. Not that it is a criminal offense because he was arrested.

Taking pictures of kids playing in a river - even if nude, to me does not automatically make it a crime or arrestable offense.

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LoveUSA: Yes, defending a creepy man is quite creepy

Uh, no. What is creepy is people wanting to toss people in jail just because they are creepy. Why is it society can never be rid of the witch hunters?

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BTADT- u nailed it. Japan has been seen as one of the last few pedophile bastions and attract a certain segment of scum from the west. The type defending this pathetic little shutterbug.

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Why is it society can never be rid of the witch hunters?

Because real "witches" needed to be hunted down in order to protect the innocent. Now, excuse me while I go and find my torch and pitchfork.

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Why is it society can never be rid of the witch hunters?

I think that question speaks volumes

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"Arrested for what he is, not does".

He was arrested for what he did. People make choices and he is going to pay, I would hope get help as well. But I can see where this agenda is going. Our children are not even safe from people just being 'themselves', if this crowd has its way.

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The one thing I don't understand is, how can a 57 year old dude be interested in a 9 year old girl?? Now if it was an adult woman playing naked of course I could understand but a kid?? I just don't get the attraction.

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OneForAll: He was arrested for what he did.

No kidding! What is your point?

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First of all, these girls shouldn't be in public areas exposing themselves. The police should arrest the parents of these children. Secondly, the 57 year old is an opportunistic pedophile and should be locked up as well. There are laws in Japan about taking someone's photo without their consent that was brought on by the handy cell phone cams.

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Secondly, the 57 year old is an opportunistic pedophile and should be locked up as well.

I fail to see a man who has committed no other crime then taking photos of little girls for his own enjoyment, in a public place, as a pedophile. He hasn't molested any children, he hasn't shared the photos with his friends. Assuming this is in fact the case, then apart from being perverted and rather sick, how has he harmed anyone?

likitis and I normally are on opposing sides of the argument, but on this one...

If he had actually hurt a child, if he had distributed the pictures he took, then either one of those things would brand him a criminal, and I'd say toss him in jail and throw away the key. I'm more concerned with how a 9 year old girl, thought it was ok to be naked in a public place, then with this guy, who though perverted, hasn't harmed anyone, and at 57, is looking less and less like someone who will.

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"a naked 9-year-old girl as she was playing in a river in Hidaka City"

They should re-name this city Hadaka City.

What's a 9-year-old girl doing naked in a river?

And is it in fact illegal to take pictures of a person, naked or otherwise, outdoors?

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never a dull moment in this place...

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Two points...

Why did the parents or legal guardians let the girl go naked in public? She can't afford a swimsuit? Yes, this guy is warped and even if what he did was not breaking the law (and I'm not saying he wasn't) then he needs to be watched VERY closely. Normal people, and even most abnormal people, don't have over a hundred photos of young girls either naked or clad only in underwear in their house.
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Sharky, you can't just lock someone away without a trial, and psychiatric treatment if required. Instead of fundamentalist thoughts, how about stopping the acceptance of such immoral behavior, starting with teenage bikini models for instance.

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We don't know what kind of pictures they were. We don't know what digital camera he had. Were they general pics or close-up detailed pics? We don't know.

We do know that he was hiding behind a bridge pylon in the river bed, so the suggestion is that he was not wanting to be seen. He either did not want to make the subject self-conscious, or he knew that what he was doing was illegal.

His comment that he was careless, but doing nothing illegal is a bit ingenuous. So, he should have been more careful then? What does that mean? He was careless in that he hadn't considered what might happen if a senior tax chief like him got arrested? Or he was careless in how he hid? Should he have dug a hole to shoot from, or created a bird hide or something. Would that have been more careful, then? I can imagine that he meant the former.

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Why couldn't he be like a normal Japanese man and go to the nearest convenience store and buy comics of young naked girls?

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Concrete said 'at least someone called the police. there is hope.' Well said! They should be able to swim where they want to swim.

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The question here in determining culpability is not whether he hurt the kids or whether what he did was bad for them specifically; it is whether what he did can be viewed as hurting society in general. This is why people are arrested and prosecuted. And this is why in some places it is illegal to have even depictions of child pornography, with no actual victims. In this case it is not clear cut because a naked child standing in a river is not "pornography" as that word is generally used. But let's be honest, there is something inherently unhealthy with this guy doing what he did regardless of legal issues.

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Morally wrong this fella is but legally wrong I don't think he is. So traditional law can't do anything to him. I say he needs a little bit of the law of the land to be dished out to him. I say the father of the girl should be allowed to give him a good whooping just before he goes home to slap his wife for letting their 9 year old frolic naked in a nearby river.

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The man is seriously wrong & does need treatment. But I think the girls parents also need some treatment too. Who in their right mind allows a nine year girl to go swimming in public in the nude? And no, I am not saying that there is anything wrong with it, so long as she is protected which this girl obviously wasn’t. I have seen my own daughters naked at all sorts of age, but if anybody had tried to take photos they would have paid a very high price for trying. These parents need to be prosecuted for endangering their daughters.

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With a full camera crew and more of a script it would make a fine movie.

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Midnightpromise at 07:09 AM JST - 13th May “With a full camera crew and more of a script it would make a fine movie.”

Yes, but then it would be called pornography.

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In this case it is not clear cut because a naked child standing in a river is not "pornography" as that word is generally used.

If that child took a picture of herself naked standing by the river, and then showed it to her friends, in the US she would be guilty of making and distributing child porn. Like I said, there comes a point when you have to ask yourself, when is this going too far.

If the guy hasn't ever hurt anyone, if he hasn't distributed these pictures to anyone, who is really harmed by his actions? Sure its sick and deviant behavior, but is it any worse then homosexuality or other types of deviant behavior? The argument can be made that they're harmful to society as well, but where is the line between freedom, and harmful to be drawn?

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Molenir at 07:30 AM JST - 13th May

“but is it any worse then homosexuality or other types of deviant behavior?”

What are you saying? This is the 21st century, you are no longer allowed to say such politically incorrect things. The thought police are probably already on their way to get you this very moment. Granted I don’t agree with them or you on this issue, but with all else you said I do agree. You’re a brave man.

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Fadamor: Yes, this guy is warped and even if what he did was not breaking the law (and I'm not saying he wasn't) then he needs to be watched VERY closely.

A case in point to my above post. This guy needs to be watched VERY closely for taking pictures of naked girls at a distance??? Yeah, never mind convicted and released murders. Never mind convicted and released rapists. Or those who have committed assault, armed robbery, etc. etc. When parole is done, they are free men. But THIS guy, THIS guy and his camera are a paramount danger, and we better get the police to drop what ever it is they are doing and have two officers shadow his every move from now on. God only knows when he will snap off some more pictures, and make society crumble into the sea.

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I agree completely, likeitis! Heck, the day when a pedophile cant confidently hide behind bushes taking pics of a naked 9 year-old child is the day we all lose a little of our humanity!

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But THIS guy, THIS guy and his camera are a paramount danger, and we better get the police to drop what ever it is they are doing and have two officers shadow his every move from now on. God only knows when he will snap off some more pictures, and make society crumble into the sea.

in your first post on this thread you were suggesting this guy was a step away from dragging the girl into the woods and molesting her. what gives?

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likeitis at 10:24AM May 12th

They played with fire, and are lucky the man stopped at taking pictures. What if he had grabbed one and hauled her off into the woods?

Oh dear. likeitis has contradicted himself again.

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Hey Grafton. An adult interested in pre teens is a definite pedophile and should be removed from society until he is no capable of being a danger.

This pervert deserves hard time and i hope the perverted old guy gets it.

Giving it to you straight.

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An adult interested in pre teens is a definite pedophile

Wow. I am an adult, and I am interested in pre-teens. My grandson is 3, and I am interested in him, his future, his interests, his development, etc. - so I am a pedophile? I do not think so.

Maybe instead of interested - you meant sexually aroused?

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Well, legally they may not be able to lock him up. Should they give him drugs to cure him? Care in the community? Laser surgery on his eyeballs? There are lots of borderline people like this walking around who haven't actually been proved to have harmed anyone yet. The police are generally aware of them, and many have been pulled and cautioned, but as they are repeat offenders the cops probably don't feel too much enthusiasm for them.

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Oh dear. likeitis has contradicted himself again.

hoserfella, today is a special day. For once, you have nailed me dead to rights for flubbing my words. Congratulations. I can only disagree with you assertion of "again."

I regretted that post minutes after I typed it. I thought to correct it, but I honestly thought that either no one would notice, or they would understand what I actually meant to say.

What I should have said and what I actually meant was that they were lucky that SOMEBODY did not grab one and haul her into the woods.

That being said, I would not be surprised if this man did in fact have such a desire. But if we go the direction of jailing or watching people for their desires, then we may has well lock up every man on the planet, because if they have not thought of little girls, then they surely have contemplated rape, murder, assault, bank robbery etc. And you never know when one of them is going to put their desire into action.

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PaulieWalnuts: in your first post on this thread you were suggesting this guy was a step away from dragging the girl into the woods and molesting her. what gives?

Actually, its more like I was suggesting they were lucky that he was not that type of guy, because he or somebody else very well could have been, and taken the opportunity. In no way did I mean to suggest he was " a step away" from anything. I don't claim to read minds. Its possible he was, but there is no way to be sure and therefore, no sense getting medieval on the dude.

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All I know is we're going down a dangerous road. Yes, I think a dude taking pics of a naked kid is bad, and he deserved being questioned maybe, arrested... I don't know. He wasn't assaulting anyone and wasn't distributing his pics online, but I can't defend him either. On the other hand, we hear all the time now about cops being on the lookout for a guy who said hi to some kids at a station, or other things that went from being friendly or neighborly 10 years ago to being dangerous in the minds of the typical person today.

But that's just the way things are. People would rather read news stories about dangerous pedophiles, cyberstalkers and bullies, foreigners, or any of the other hot targets of the day than actually hear about truly dangerous stuff. You know, in the US not once did anyone ever really find a razorblade in a piece of Halloween candy, but look how long and crazy that scare went.

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Japanese are used going to onsen being naked, and i find it kind of funny how they stare or point at me, when i cleaning or soaking in the hot water. i do not see a problem of little kids playing nude by the river, it is the adults who project sexual meaning to their nudity.

i also have no problems with people making pictures of the scenery and there are playing naked kids in them.

But if you focus your zoom lense pure on the naked little kids then yes that is suspicious.

Although i agree in the west the recent years there has been an overreaction when it comes to these things.

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MildredRoper: An adult interested in pre teens is a definite pedophile and should be removed from society until he is no capable of being a danger.

This is such an extremist opinion, and in my deleted post, I nailed it dead to rights. It is bizarre that this board allows such an opinion as jailing people NOT for what they have done, but for what they think, and that opinion cannot be completely torn apart for the backward and extremist opinion that it is. All my comparisons were dead on the money. But I guess we have a bandwagon to ride around here.

Moderator: You didn't nail anything except yourself. You (and other readers) have to learn to refute other posters' opinions without being impolite to them or going off topic.

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So the 9 year olds were having fun in a public place without supervision? As for the pedophile, I have no comments. Cane him in public so that others will learn a good lesson.

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Maybe he just thinks little naked and semi-naked girls are cute, as Annie Liebovitz, above, does. I can see that. There are lots of naked little kids in classic European pantings. I can't see little boys being cute. They catch cats and put lighter fluid on them and light them and knock other little kids down, etc. Some parents don't like their kids being photographed. And if he ever thought of doing a commercial exhibit, he would have to go through the great hassle of getting permission of all the parents.

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Someone suggested a "suspended sentence". Did you mean from the bridge?

If you carried those pictures into Australia you would be charged with a criminal offence, publicly ostricized, and gaoled. You cannot even take a picture of children playing sport in Australia with many sporting groups. 100 compromising photographs of children, even deleted but on your hard-drive memory in your computer and you would be prosecuted. It is considered bad manners to take public photographs, with identifiable people in them without their expressed permission. As for men who secretly photograph nude nine year olds, of course they know it is evil, that is why they do it sneakily. As for those who attempt to rationalise such behavior and blame the bathing child or parent, who is maybe unaware, that is a bit rich. The man who called the police and waited for their arrival to arrest the culprit is the good side of this tragic incident.

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I think alike dennisObauer and noborito my hero. Its true that Japanese don't have hang ups about being naked as western values. Europe and Australia have their nudist beach. He is not Mr. Spencer Tunick in the making. Refer to his nudist colony work in Newcastle 17/07/05. This taxman should be charged accordingly if not warned and publicly shamed for what he's done.

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well, If we are so aware and concerned about pedophiles, and feel that this guys actions mean he must be one, and that he is a threat to children and should be arrested, then I think it should be obvious that it is not ok, or safe for 9 year old girls to be naked in public. Why give sexual predators the opportunity? He may not have touched anyone yet, but how long before his fascination with naked children goes to the next level? Dont give him free shows for goodness sake! With that many photos, he has to be taking them for a unsavoury purpose.

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womanforwomen: As for the pedophile, I have no comments. Cane him in public so that others will learn a good lesson.

What crime are you suggesting he be caned for? Again, I think its not for taking the pictures, but for "possibly" having a sexual interest in little girls even if its worst manifestation is taking pictures from a distance. In other words, I think you want to cane him for what is in his head, not what he did. Am I right?

So the 9 year olds were having fun in a public place without supervision?

You know what happens when you play with matches, don't you?

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You are absolutely right likeitis.

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womanforwomen: You are absolutely right likeitis.

Okay. So do you honestly think you can cane him into not thinking of little girls anymore? And I mean exactly that. I am not talking about caning him into not touching them, which he did not do, or not taking pictures of them from behind a pylon, I am talking about caning the thoughts out of him, or caning him into a new sexual interest. Do you really think you can do that?

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