Man Involved in Exploitative Incident with Junior High Student Offered Additional Services

The crime was so unusual that the current Chief Cabinet Secretary issued a statement.

By December 10, Yukihiro Koizumi, 40, a clerk at the Prime Minister’s Office, was arrested by Kanagawa Prefectural Police on charges of non-consensual sexual intercourse with two junior high school girls in Yokohama City and violation of the Child Prostitution and Pornography Law (child prostitution).

“Koizumi is suspected of sexually assaulting two girls, one a first-year junior high school student and the other an eighth-year junior high school student, in a car in Seya-ku, Yokohama, in April this year, after promising to pay them cash, knowing that they were under 16 years old. According to police, he gave each of them 4,000 yen. The two girls were in contact via a messaging app, and it is said that one of the two girls connected with the Koizumi suspect through another student,” said a reporter from the society section of a national newspaper.

The female student who was victimized this time had run away from home. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi held a press conference on the afternoon of January 10,

“I have received a report that a male staff member of the Cabinet Secretariat has been arrested by the police on suspicion of child prostitution and other charges. I understand that the staff member was involved in security at the Prime Minister’s office. It is extremely regrettable that a staff member has been arrested, and we intend to handle the situation strictly, taking into account the progress of the investigation.”

This comment has caused a significant ripple.

Going out with family on holidays

What kind of person was the suspect, Koizumi? A reporter from this magazine visited his three-story home located in a quiet residential area in Itabashi, Tokyo, but found the house empty. In the parking lot, there was a minivan, possibly the vehicle used in the crime. Nearby residents reveal his simple and unremarkable nature.

“About 20 years ago, they moved into the condominium where they currently live. It’s a two-family house, but at the time, I only saw his wife and her family. He seemed to appear out of nowhere. They also have two children, who are quite a bit younger, and his wife’s father is elderly and uses day services.

Koizumi-san gave the impression of someone who simply went to work, and we would exchange greetings if we crossed paths, but there wasn’t much of a deeper connection. Just before the news of his arrest, on the 9th, I saw him in a car around 5:30 p.m. near his home. I believe it was him. So, I was really shocked when I heard about the incident.” (Neighbor)

Another neighbor testified.

“Maybe it was for family time, but I often saw them going out together in the car, and they seemed like such a close family. So why did he do something so wrong? His wife is so sweet, and she was working hard taking care of her father and raising their children. Even if he returns, how will he face society knowing he’s been arrested? I feel so sorry for his family.”

“Koizumi has reportedly admitted to the charges, saying ‘What I did was wrong.’ The two students he met are said to have met him multiple times, and the police are continuing their investigation into the details and any other possible offenses.”