24-Year-Old Self-Defense Force Member Sent Upskirt Photos of Teen Girl Taken on Bus

A slim man with glasses and his mouth tightly shut appeared inside the police station. When he left the building, he seemed surprised by the number of reporters and lowered his head to hide his face. This man, a Self-Defense Force member, was arrested twice for taking upskirt photos of women.

On July 22, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s Osaki Station arrested Private First Class Ayata Hatano (24) from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Komakado Base (Gotemba City, Shizuoka Prefecture) on suspicion of violating the Act on Punishment of Sexual Conduct and Distribution (for photographing and providing). He is alleged to have taken upskirt photos of a teenage girl, referred to as A.

“The incident under arrest suspicion occurred around noon on May 28 inside a city bus traveling in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. Suspect Hatano approached A from behind. It is said that he took out his smartphone and inserted it into A’s skirt to take photos and videos” (National newspaper social affairs reporter).

 

In June, at a station in Shinagawa Ward.

Hatano’s criminal acts were discovered in an unexpected way.

“This is not the first time Hatano has been arrested. He was also arrested and indicted in June for taking upskirt photos of another woman at a station in Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo. The police seized and analyzed Hatano’s smartphone. They found photos and videos taken inside a bus in Yokohama, which were allegedly taken during this incident.

Hatano is said to have found women he liked from images uploaded on social media. He searched for stations they used based on online information and then took upskirt photos. The women who were victimized did not know Hatano.” (same source)

Images of upskirt photos taken inside a bus in Yokohama were sent to a third party.

“It is said that Hatano sent the upskirt photos to an acquaintance he met through social media three times on the same day. According to the police investigation, Hatano admitted to the crime, stating, ‘I did it to satisfy my sexual desires.'”

The police believe there may be additional offenses by Hatano and are continuing their investigation