Sexually assaulting a minor girl he met on a social networking site…21-year-old man’s “vicious tactics”.

Once again, a minor has become a victim of a sex crime via the Internet.

On August 31, the Chiba Prefectural Police Urayasu Station arrested Toshihiko Kato, 21, on suspicion of forced sexual intercourse. Kato is suspected of sexually assaulting an underage girl in a private men’s restroom of a store in Chiba Prefecture at around 11:00 a.m. on July 9.

Prefectural police analyzed security camera footage from the area around the scene and identified the suspect as Kato. It was the first time he met the victim, an underage girl, that day. The two apparently met through social networking services, but the incident came to light when the girl’s mother reported it to the police in mid-July,” said an investigator with the prefectural police.

At the time of the arrest, the suspect appeared with a downcast look on his face, but when he saw the police officer who was on guard, his eyes changed and he glared at the camera. The look of hatred on his face showed no signs of remorse. Shuji Suzuki, a lawyer well versed in obscenity cases, explains the viciousness of the crime of forcible sexual intercourse.

If the victim was 13 years old or older, it would be very difficult to charge him with forcible sexual intercourse. Usually, the crime would fall under the category of child prostitution, but that is only if there is consent. The fact that the victim was charged with forced sexual intercourse means that it was clear at the time of her arrest that she had committed the act against her will to a certain extent. This is not the kind of dating with assistance. It is considered a more malicious crime.”

The crime of forcible sexual intercourse, in which sexual intercourse is forced through assault or threats, was enacted in 2005. It is the successor to the so-called former crime of rape. What kind of sentence is expected this time? Mr. Suzuki continued.

It depends on the degree of assault, but forcible sexual intercourse is basically a serious crime, so even if it is a first offense, there is a high possibility that the defendant will be sentenced to prison. In that case, it would probably be 2.5 to 4 years. There, the existence of a settlement, the nature of the sexual intercourse, and other factors will be taken into account to determine whether or not you will receive a stay of execution. Because it is a serious charge, the prosecution is likely to start with a prison sentence. Even if there is a settlement and probation is granted, the heaviest sentence is likely to be a three-year prison term with a five-year suspended sentence.

The suspect, Kato, is said to deny some of the charges, but the crime of forcible sexual intercourse, which can cause trauma to the victim, is needless to say, an extremely malicious crime. We hope that the investigation will make progress as soon as possible and that the victims will receive psychological care.