The Cruel Assault of an 8-Year-Old Girl and the Man’s Startling Confession

She was attacked on her way home after buying a birthday gift for her father

“That day, I drank whiskey and felt like my arousal was about to explode. I had reached my limit, so I decided to assault someone.”

The man who sexually assaulted the 8-year-old girl reportedly gave this explanation of his motive during police questioning.

“On February 6, 2025, the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Sagamihara Station arrested Ayata Yamaguchi (34) on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse and other charges. Around 7 p.m. on September 3 of last year, he allegedly lured A (then 8 years old) into the premises of an abandoned house and sexually assaulted her.

A was attacked on her way home after buying a birthday present for her father. The incident came to light when a teacher noticed A crying in front of the elementary school she attends, asked her what happened, and called 110,” said a national newspaper social affairs reporter.

On April 14, 2013, the first trial of Yamaguchi was held at the Yokohama District Court. The prosecutor read out the indictment and other evidence, which revealed Yamaguchi’s despicable criminal acts.

The defendant received a prison sentence of 2 years and 4 months for the crime of forcible indecency on March 23, 2019. After release, he repeatedly entered and left support facilities and had been living on the streets in Sagamihara City since around the summer of 2024.

On the night of September 3, the defendant, having consumed alcohol and feeling heightened sexual desire, thought about forcibly having intercourse with a girl and went to a busy store area near the crime scene to look for a girl. Upon recognizing Ms. A passing by, he followed her, threatened her by saying things like “Don’t scream. I’ll kill you,” led her to the crime location, and inserted his finger into her pubic area. After the crime the defendant fled.

Father’s anger in the deposition

Also, according to what the prosecutor revealed, during the police interrogation, defendant Yamaguchi spoke about the day of the incident, continuing from his initial statement as follows:

“I went to a crowded place and found a little girl there. Little girls are my type, so I wanted to do something sexual and chased her. Then, attacked her in a deserted place, so I brought her into the premises of an abandoned house.” 

Security cameras near the crime scene captured defendant Yamaguchi lying in wait outside a convenience store, smoking a cigarette as he waited for Ms. A to enter the store, and also showed Yamaguchi standing still in Ms. A’s direction of travel.

“In November 2024, the police issued a warrant for defendant Yamaguchi and were tracking his whereabouts,” (reported a journalist from the social affairs department).

While the police continued their intensive investigation, defendant Yamaguchi was reportedly living together with a woman at her home. In a statement read aloud by the prosecutor from the interrogation records, the cohabiting partner said the following.

“I met the defendant in August 2024 at a park near my home. We became close while feeding cats together, and since he said he had nowhere to live, I invited him to come to my home. We started living together around the end of September.

I intend to break up with the defendant going forward and do not want to share the address of my new home. I want him to properly atone for his crimes.”

Similarly, from the statement read aloud by the prosecutor from Ms. A’s father’s interrogation records, a strong desire for punishment against defendant Yamaguchi was felt.

“My daughter was recently afraid to go out alone, and except when going out with family, she rarely went out by herself. I cannot forgive the perpetrator who did the lowest thing as a human being to my precious daughter. I hope the perpetrator receives a severe punishment.”

Defendant Yamaguchi committed the crime in an astonishingly simplistic manner, saying that he attacked the little girl because he had an uncontrollable sexual desire. We wonder if he will express any words of remorse during the ongoing trial.

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