Creating child pornography with a girl is “the fault of the prosecution”… “Outrageous defense” given in court by a man who has been imprisoned for 20 years for kidnapping.

The prosecution and the first trial have brought about the tragic end for Girl A. What in the world is going on with Japan’s welfare system? What in the world is going on with Japan’s welfare system?”

Standing on the witness stand, defendant Hitoshi Ito, 38, answered the defense attorney’s questions as if he were spitting in the face. The second trial for the defendant, who is accused of kidnapping a minor, is scheduled to begin at the Tokyo High Court on December 7, 2022.

Ito was arrested for kidnapping a junior high school girl (14 at the time, hereinafter “Girl A”) in May 2019 and an elementary school girl (12 at the time, hereinafter “Girl B”) in November of the same year. After sending messages to the two girls, who posted “I want to die (Girl A)” and “I’m going to die tomorrow (Girl B),” on SNS, the two girls met each other and were taken to his home, where he allegedly held them captive.

The first trial began in February 2021 at the Mito District Court. Ito said , “I was consulting with the girls who had suggested committing suicide on SNS. He also claimed that he did not intend to kidnap the girls, explaining that he hid them in his home in order to protect them and stop them from committing suicide.

According to the prosecution, Ito repeatedly assaulted the girl A by yelling and punching her in the face, forcing her to be his slave. In addition to restraining her with a collar and chain and repeatedly forcing her to have sexual intercourse with him, he repeatedly committed despicable acts, such as taking pictures of Girl A with a digital camera and creating child pornography.

In the end, the first trial court sentenced him to 20 years in prison (with a 24-year sentence), but Ito appealed. As mentioned above, a second trial was held at the Tokyo High Court.

Ito entered the courtroom wearing a suit, short hair, a straight back, and a crisp appearance. The judge stated that he would consider reducing the sentence depending on the circumstances after the verdict, and defense counsel began to ask questions, but rather than expressing remorse, Ito questioned the charges against him.

Defense counsel: “Did you feel any remorse after the verdict?”

Defendant: “In the first place, it is totally untrue; they were both very abused by their parents and I am very sorry because I thought I was helping them. Because of the prosecution and the first trial, Girl A suffered a tragic end.”

Defense attorney: “Do you admit guilt?”

Defendant: “I took pictures and I had sex with Girl A. So I think I will admit to the child pornography and the violation of the Child Welfare Law. However, even if they call it extenuating circumstances…”

Although he admitted to some of the crimes, Ito spoke matter-of-factly, as if he was unaware of his own mistakes. The court session ended after about five minutes.

At the first trial, where the defendant was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Judge Keita Nakajima of the Mito District Court spoke up and said, “He repeatedly made unnatural excuses and showed no remorse. We have no choice but to sentence him to a very long prison term. Unfortunately, Judge Nakajima’s words did not seem to resonate with the defendant.