crime

Fireman turns himself to police for flashing student last October

25 Comments

A 24-year-old fireman has been arrested for exposing himself to a female high school student on the street in Tochigi Prefecture last October.

Police said that Yuya Yamada, a firefighter in Sano, Tochigi Prefecture, turned himself in at a police station on Sunday and confessed to flashing the 17-year-old girl as she walked home at around 6 p.m. on Oct 21, NTV reported Monday.

Yamada was quoted by police as saying he flashed the girl and that he had no excuse.

There have been eight similar cases reported in Sano since last May and Yamada said he was responsible. Police said he denied his involvement when questioned by police in January.

Yamada did not give nay reason as to why he decided to turn himself in, police said.

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Yamada did not give nay reason as to why he decided to turn himself in, police said.

..because his "fire" was put off !

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

My girlfriend at college in London many years ago had a similar thing happen to her. She and the guy sitting opposite her were the only passengers in the underground (subway) car. Between stations, he flashed her.

Her response - which I still love her for - was to burst out laughing. He apparently went bright red, covered himself up and moved to the end of the car.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Why would you turn yourself in of all things? Since when was nudity considered harmful?

-8 ( +2 / -10 )

Since when was nudity considered harmful?

How wonder if you would feel the same way if the high school student he flashed was a family member.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

While I've never understood why guys would want to do this, I've also never understood why it's such a big deal.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

NOw I have the KISS song "Firehouse" in my head!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I've also never understood why it's such a big deal.

Possibly because in some cases, the offenders may be primarily exhibitionists, but they may also engage in other sexual crimes, especially pedophilia and child molesting. The behavior may start with exhibitionism, but may progress to child molestation.

Such behavior is certainly a concern.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

Since when was nudity considered harmful?

@scipantheist It would be totally different if he were just walking nude down the street. When someone suddenly confronts you and does something unexpected, its a shock and its traumatic.

Consider this: People have hands right? Seeing someone's hand is not scary. But if some guy is just walking past you and suddenly thrusts both his hands at you its going to freak you out. When some guy suddenly turns to you and pulls out his junk, you don't know why or what's next. Perhaps he is now going to rape you? Why else would he arrest your attention by suddenly pulling out his junk?

Nudity is fine and I have no problem with it. But flashing is as much an assault as drawing your fist back on someone. They don't know whats next but they are right to fear the worst.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The behavior may start with exhibitionism, but may progress to child molestation.

Wild speculstion from you. As per usual. If we deal with this article, from where do you draw your conclusions?

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Wild speculstion from you

I was merely answering a question posed by another poster. I did not say that was the case here.

However, it is a fact that victims of this kind of exhibitionism can be traumatized. It is an assault and should be treated as such.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

That firefighter has serious sexual frustration issues. Jeez, how many other losers like him are there?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It IS traumatic especially for young girls (it happened to me when I was about 8 years old...) If it happened to me now I know I'd just start laughing and say "kawaii so ! Is that all you have to show ?"

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The most surprising part of this article is that he hasn't excused himself with being drunk yet.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

in some cases, the offenders may be primarily exhibitionists, but they may also engage in other sexual crimes, especially pedophilia and child molesting. The behavior may start with exhibitionism, but may progress to child molestation.

I can understand that this would make it a concern, but the problem would be the child molestation. Some guy showing his junk to someone isn't going to cause much of any harm in and of itself.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Some guy showing his junk to someone isn't going to cause much of any harm in and of itself.

@Strangerland In addition to what I already said about how suddenly engaging some stranger with anything, even a spoon, is going to surprise and shock them and make them fear, I am afraid that when people are raised to believe that the naked body is a shameful thing, and its always hidden from them, then seeing genitals suddenly is going to be double the shock. Anyone who wants to protect their children should consider that, and let them go to both sides of the onsen sometimes, or something. If you don't you just set them up for a fall. And for what? Are they Queen Victoria and ensured to live a safe little bubble all their lives? No. Its a shame that Japan is becoming a such an anti-nudity society compared to what it was. It plays right into the hands of flashers because they get the shock that defines their desire to flash. And you know what? It probably stems from their own shock that was caused by unexpectedly seeing genitals during an anti-nudity upbringing. What a stupid cycle!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Some guy showing his junk to someone isn't going to cause much of any harm in and of itself.

Do you know any females? Ask them how they would feel if someone did that to them.

I have known too many who had this happen and it certainly affected them, some for quite a period of time.

The victim was a 17 year old girl. Are you saying you cannot image being shocked and threatened by an exposed man suddenly appearing in front of you?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Severe lack of empathy on the part of someone who thinks there's no real harm done here. Women aren't exactly safe in any society and some strange guy flashing his junk could easily be perceived as a threat of sexual violence or at the very least-- and I don't say this to make light of the situation-- put someone off her feed for the day. And finally, that's also turning things around towards victim-blaming; i.e., if she's frightened or offended, then she's the one with the problem when the problem is this guy needs to keep his junk in his pants until he's in an appropriate and consensual situation. As to why he turned himself in... I feel like there's some information missing about whether or not the young woman reported him and the police were on the lookout.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

When I lived in Sapporo, there was a kind of "fashion" amongst high school girls known as "jibetazoku." They would squat or sit on the floor, showing off their legs.

I was walking to the subway station one day and there was a bunch of these. One particular girl had her legs splayed wide open. I couldn't help noticing that she had very brief panties on.

I don't consider myself a prude by any means, and, in other circumstances would have been well pleased with this sight, but honestly, I was embarrassed.

Why?

It was just so out of place.

The shock must have been so much greater for this girl.

But, on the other hand, let's not forget that this guy did have the courage to turn himself in.

Though the "authorities" and "experts" won't have any more of a clue what to do about it than the fireman (or firefighter) does.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

While I've never understood why guys would want to do this, I've also never understood why it's such a big deal.

Some guy showing his junk to someone isn't going to cause much of any harm in and of itself.

Is someone walking up to a random teen-aged girl and exposing themselves considered normal social behavior? "No." Does such activity call into question the perpetrator's mental state? "Yes." Is an adult demonstrating such a questionable mental state in front of a teenager with (presumably) no one else in sight going to cause the teenager to rightfully fear for her well-being? "YES.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

While I've never understood why guys would want to do this, I've also never understood why it's such a big deal.

You aren't putting yourself in the victim's shoes. Think about it this way: women, and especially younger girls are a lot more vulnerable to sexual assault. Not only is the flasher's behavior creepy and gross, it's also a threat. What is he going to do next? Will he attempt to grope her? Rape her? She doesn't know. Even if all he does is flash her, she may still come away feeling scared and violated.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

At least he's a fireman, so he must be buffed. The 17-yr-old probably enjoyed the show.

(Like if female lifeguards doing the same to gents. Need more of those.)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes, flashing seems innocent in certain situations. However like any misdeed small or large, how much farther will this person go. There are those that flash for political reasons or to make certain statements. It those that does without these conditions that are troubling and therefore you must go after them.It 's always safe and wrong then to be careless and sorry.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Exposing yourself to a child or adult is criminal sexual assault in most western democracies. The term 'flashing' is unhelpful and makes this act seem lighthearted. 'Groping' is another term that should be substituted by 'sexual assault' to convey its criminal seriousness. Perhaps then, there may be some headway made with addressing the epidemic of sexual assault that has been cultivating in Japan for so long. It is right that the police follow this individual case to conclusion.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Various arguments as to why it's a problem here, but I'm still not entirely sold.

Do you know any females? Ask them how they would feel if someone did that to them.

Ask some females how they would feel if I walked up to them and said "** in your with a ****" (fill in the blanks yourself). Sure it would be shocking - but should I be thrown in jail for saying it? Just because someone is offensive, doesn't mean that it should be a legal offense.

some strange guy flashing his junk could easily be perceived as a threat of sexual violence or at the very least

And someone saying the blanked-out statement above could be perceived as a thread of physical violence. But until the offense is perpetrated, it's just fear.

The term 'flashing' is unhelpful and makes this act seem lighthearted. 'Groping' is another term that should be substituted by 'sexual assault' to convey its criminal seriousness.

I'm with you on 'groping/sexual assault', but not as much with 'flashing'.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's an appropriate thing to do be doing in public. But I also don't think it's as serious as it gets made out to be. That all said, I still have no idea why some guy would want to do it.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

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