Trial Reveals High School Girl’s Outrage Against Man Who Stole Her Underwear

One of the victims spoke about the details of the crime

“The culprit pressed his nose against my underwear and took a deep breath.”

On a dark street, Tomohiko Ito (26), suddenly confronted two high school girls at the time and demanded, “Take off your panties if you don’t want to be killed.” One of the victims, A-san, described Ito’s crime during the trial, expressing her disgust: “It was truly disgusting.”

“Ito, the defendant, was arrested on October 29 by the Shakujii Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse and robbery, after allegedly committing obscene acts and stealing underwear from high school girl A on the street on September 11, 2024.

During the subsequent investigation, it was discovered that another high school girl, B, had suffered a similar attack three days earlier, on September 8. The prosecution indicted Ito on charges of robbery and non-consensual obscene acts against A, and attempted non-consensual obscene acts against B,” said a reporter from a national newspaper’s social affairs department. 

The trial of defendant Ito has been underway at the Tokyo District Court since April 14, 2025. At the second hearing on May 8, victim A gave testimony via video link from a separate room. Responding to the prosecutor’s questions, A began recounting the day of the incident.

“On that day, while I was returning home from school, a round-faced man wearing glasses suddenly asked me, ‘How old are you?’ When I asked ‘Why do you want to know?’ he grabbed my left wrist and took me to the side of the road. I noticed his right hand, which was in his pocket, was wearing a transparent plastic glove.

Then he said, ‘If you don’t want to be killed, take off your panties.’ I was so shocked that I couldn’t fully understand what he was saying.”

At that moment, a woman happened to pass by nearby, which caused defendant Ito to stop his actions. When the prosecutor asked, “Did you try to ask that woman for help?” A replied:

“I wanted to ask for help, but she was very small and slender, so I was worried that if the offender had a knife, she might get stabbed. I couldn’t call out. However, thanks to her passing by, the offender let go of me, and I quickly walked away from the scene.”

When the prosecutor asked, “Why didn’t you run away?” A’s answer was surprising.

He pressed his nose against my underwear and took a deep breath.

“I was tired from carrying heavy bags after school, and I think I had met this offender before. At that time, he asked me, ‘How old are you?’ and then just ran off somewhere. So I thought he wouldn’t follow me any further.”

However, the defendant, Tomohiko Ito, did follow her, grabbed her backpack, and dragged her into a vacant lot. A-san continued:

“The offender came close to my face again and said, ‘If you don’t want to be killed, take off your panties.’ When I asked why, he said, ‘Because I want to smell them.’ It was really disgusting. But I thought that if I didn’t follow his orders, he might really kill me.”

When A-san handed over her underwear, as she mentioned at the start, Ito began to sniff it right in front of her. He also touched her lower body and brought his face close to breathe in deeply, engaging in obscene acts.

At that moment, A-san’s friend happened to pass by, and when she called for help, Ito fled. Afterwards, A-san and her friend went to a police box to report the incident, which led to the discovery of the crime.

When the prosecutor asked, “Have there been any changes in your daily life since the incident?” A-san answered, “I changed the station I use, bought security items, and because I’m scared, I don’t go out much anymore,” showing her anger toward the offender.

“Sometimes, in my everyday life, I suddenly remember that disgusting feeling. I really cannot forgive the offender. I’m scared of him being out there, so I don’t want him to come out much.”

Ito denies some of the charges, claiming, “I did not touch A-san’s body, and I did not use the phrase ‘If you don’t want to be killed.’” The next hearing will include questioning of the defendant. What will Ito say in response to A-san’s angry testimony?

 

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