<figure id="attachment_380044" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 640px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-380044"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e0a2505c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/0cdd62c0b70d06066c02d0f529fc6a9e.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-380044" class="wp-caption-text">The defendant Morimoto at the time of his arrest in March this year.</figcaption></figure>
&#8220;I wanted to provide a place for A-san, who was mentally unstable.&#8221;
Having repeatedly touched the middle school student&#8217;s body and recorded the act on a smartphone, the accused Yasutsugu Morimoto (35), arrested in March by the Katsushika Police Station of the Metropolitan Police Department on charges including violation of the Child Pornography Prohibition Act and Osaka Prefecture&#8217;s Youth Healthy Development Ordinance, proclaimed this falsehood during his initial trial held at the Tokyo District Court on June 27th.
&#8220;In around November 2022, the defendant Morimoto began following the Twitter account of A-san, a female middle school student who was 14 at the time. They bonded over topics related to a popular online game and exchanged messages, deepening their relationship, eventually meeting in person. The crime took place at a hotel in Osaka Prefecture.&#8221;
In court, it was revealed how the defendant Morimoto took advantage of A-san&#8217;s mental instability, showing his despicable actions. He testified as follows.
&#8220;A-san was troubled by relationships with friends and family, often saying that she wanted to die. I would respond, &#8216;Don&#8217;t say such things,&#8217; but she said to me, &#8216;Make me feel like I want to live.&#8217; I wanted to somehow alleviate her feelings of wanting to die. It was with such intentions that I went to meet A-san.&#8221; (Statement by defendant Morimoto)
In December 2022, defendant Morimoto traveled to Osaka and met A-san at a karaoke establishment. He handed her 50,000 yen, thinking,&#8220;She seemed to be in financial trouble, so I thought I could contribute a little to her livelihood.&#8221; A-san said, “I can&#8217;t take this for free. I want to repay you in my own way,” which led to sexual contact.
&#8220;At that time, I had absolutely no ulterior motives, and I never expected it would lead to sexual activity.&#8221; (Statement by defendant Morimoto)
When the prosecutor asked, “Don’t you think that 50,000 yen is quite a large amount for a 14-year-old? (Given that money was exchanged), wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume that Person A was being asked for sexual favors?” The defendant, Mr. Morimoto, denied it, saying, &#8220;I can’t imagine thinking about such things at the age of 14.&#8221;
Despite having a family at home, defendant Morimoto continued to visit Osaka multiple times, spending about six hours with A-san at a karaoke establishment. It is said that A-san&#8217;s parents sometimes shared their smartphone&#8217;s location information, and there were occasions when Morimoto left his smartphone at the karaoke shop while going to a convenience store. From the confiscated smartphone of defendant Morimoto, 190 explicit videos and images were found.
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="The barbaric act of &quot;writing obscene pranks on the body.&quot;"></div>
<figure id="attachment_380045" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 439px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-380045"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="f0d75b54"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/46397e919e6b15b0fa8ed3a69613d9e1.jpeg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-380045" class="wp-caption-text">Defendant Morimoto claimed he had no ulterior motives.</figcaption></figure>
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&#8220;I often thought about stopping. However, when I was told through LINE and such that (engaging in sexual acts) was providing support, if it was providing support, then I ended up continuing.&#8221; (Statement by defendant Morimoto)
When questioned by the prosecutor about drawing lewd graffiti on A-san&#8217;s body with a marker and taking photos of her in sports attire, asking, &#8220;Were these acts also meant to support the victim?&#8221; defendant Morimoto denied again, saying, &#8220;We both felt like lovers. So, rather than supporting, it was more about doing things we both wanted to do and enjoying ourselves.&#8221;
&#8220;I understand it&#8217;s inevitable to say it was to satisfy my own sexual desires. Still, it&#8217;s true that I had feelings of wanting to save A-san, to fill her loneliness.&#8221; He went on to state.
According to the testimonies from A-san&#8217;s parents and other statements read in court, A-san had been bullied at school and was in a continued state of mental instability. Her parents were always concerned about her mental state and physical health. On one occasion, Morimoto, who had brought A-san back near her home, was encountered by her father. Morimoto attempted to flee, prompting her father to call the police, leading to the incident coming to light.
&#8220;The perpetrator exploited my daughter&#8217;s immature mental state and unstable emotions solely to satisfy his own desires. I absolutely cannot forgive this, so I seek the maximum punishment under Japanese law.&#8221;
After reading aloud the feelings of A-san&#8217;s parents, the prosecutor requested a sentence of 1 year and 6 months of imprisonment, stating that the act, which ignored the dignity of the victim, was heinous. Following this, Morimoto&#8217;s defense attorney requested a suspended sentence, stating, &#8220;The defendant has sincerely reflected on his actions and has been attending a mental health clinic to prevent recurrence.&#8221; The trial concluded on the same day with the verdict.
&#8220;At first, it was only my desire to support A-san.&#8221; 
Morimoto, the defendant, continued with empty claims. The verdict will be delivered on July 9th.

 Shinji Hasuo

 Yasutsugu Morimoto was arrested for indecently assaulting a 14-year-old junior high school student. The defendant's defense was that he had no ulterior motive.

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