Univ student arrested after trying to blackmail two 11-year-old girls

Saturday 05th September, 11:45 PM JST

TOKYO —

A 20-year-old man was arrested for attempted extortion earlier this week after he allegedly tried to make two elementary school girls pay him 50,000 yen each, police said Friday.

Police said Ryunosuke Arima, a second-year student at Bunkyo University, approached the two 11-year-old girls on Aug 26 outside a Taito Ward bookstore, after he put a 1,000 yen bill on top of some books in the store. One of the girls had picked the bill up and told Arima that they were going to hand it in at a police station. Arima told them the money was his, and that if they didn’t want to get in trouble with the police, they should pay him 50,000 yen each.

Arima then tried to persuade the girls to give him some money over the next hour, but fled without success after the girls started crying. He was arrested on Sept 2, based on descriptions of his appearance. He has admitted to the allegations, saying he wanted to pull a prank on some girls.

Police are investigating if Arima was involved in two other incidents in the bookstore last month, in which two young girls were groped.

News reports

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 47 Total Comments Show All

elbudamexicano at 10:39 PM JST - 5th September

Thank the gods, these young girls were not physically hurt by this idiot! We must protect our children from these fools.
ComradeRuskie at 04:31 AM JST - 6th September

Asking 500$ from 11 years old. At that age if I had a 5$ I was a happy child.

Moron doesn't even begin to discribe how I feel about this guy...
HonestDictator at 05:01 AM JST - 6th September

Lol The above comments are hilarious. This guy is a simpleton... First of all the girls are 11. They're still kids for cryin' out loud? Its like asking a 5 year old to give you 150,000,000 yen. I don't agree with a public caning, but forcing him to wear a sign of what he did for a few long months in public should sink it into his feeble mind that he's a total git.
bcbrownboy at 08:37 AM JST - 6th September

Scumbag!
isthistheend at 08:50 AM JST - 6th September

I find nothing "surprising" anymore. Its a very obvious "sign of the times". People in this country, especially younger people who don't have much experience with society, or had any chance to develop proper hobbies (lack of space, money and time) become dimwits. I'm afraid there are close to a million or more such young people these days. Japan has some serious house to tend to make the "beautiful Japan" concept imagined by loose bowels.
abromofo at 10:06 AM JST - 6th September

The guy is probably so detached from reality that he believed these 11 year old girls would actually be able to come up with the money. To the point where they started crying? Man... Sad, sad loser.
SEPTIMUS at 10:08 AM JST - 6th September

I guess he must've failed Ethics while at university.
gogogo at 12:52 PM JST - 6th September

Arima then tried to persuade the girls to give him some money over the next hour, but fled without success after the girls started crying. He was arrested on Sept 2, based on descriptions of his appearance. He has admitted to the allegations, saying he wanted to pull a prank on some girls.

What are creep! This is the lowest of low, this really boils my blood to hear this idiot tried to do this, this guy needs some serious jail time, I hope they throw everything they have at him. He made the girls cry, what a scumbag.
nipponreddog at 04:09 PM JST - 6th September

..in which two young girls were groped. < saying he wanted to pull a prank on some girls<

So for "Junior" 20 year-old Japanboy, a "prank" comes down to sexula molestation of 11 year-old minor girls? Oh, how funny. Ha, ha. What a fine prank! Great sense of humor.
Jaegger at 10:34 PM JST - 6th September

I am surprised it makes the news. It happens all the time elsewhere, but here, THAT has to put published?
MeanRingo at 10:41 PM JST - 6th September

The glimmer of hope for Japan comes from the two 11 year olds. They were actually going to bring the money to the authorities. In any other country I might disregard this as a farce, but in Japan... perhaps they really were going to do it.
KingSaint at 12:15 AM JST - 7th September

I guess he must've failed Ethics while at university.

They have ethics classes in Japan?
kokorocloud at 01:17 PM JST - 7th September

Something about this story doesn't make any sense to me. So he was just standing around outside waiting for them to come out and then questioned them about the money? And he did this for an hour-- no one was around at the time? It just seems very weird. I'm glad the girls were unhurt however.
lostrune2 at 05:18 PM JST - 7th September

At least he didn't ask them for some lascivious favors as collateral, right?
Klein2 at 10:23 PM JST - 8th September

Might as well chime in. If you understand the scam, you can see that it is pretty sick. At every stage, it is designed to suck the girls in deeper and play off their fears that they have done something wrong. The process that the student used sets it all in motion, and it does not end with money. It ends with them giving him whatever he wants, or him killing them.

The student was not stupid. If things had clicked correctly, he would have had two little slaves. He has to be put away. Very scary guy. This is not a prank. This was a plan.