Obscene Offer to a High School Girl: The Shockingly Selfish Claims Exposed in Court

I’ll give you money

The trial of defendant Yuto Honda (25 at the time of arrest), who was arrested in July for forcible indecency and violating the Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance on the Prevention of Public Nuisance for engaging in lewd acts, such as approaching junior high and high school girls and forcing them to touch his body on the street between April and May this year, was held at the Tokyo District Court on November 4.

The defendant Honda, who entered the courtroom, wore a mask, but from the groomed eyebrows and the neat eyes, a calm atmosphere could be sensed. Dressed in a black suit, a wedding ring was on the ring finger of the left hand.

According to the indictment, the defendant Honda allegedly touched his own lower body on the street in Nerima Ward in the presence of high school girls A (17) and B (17), and junior high school student C (14).

“Could you watch me (engage in indecent behavior) if I give you money?” (from the indictment)

He reportedly said such things. Defendant Honda, regarding the charges,

“There is no mistake.”

and frankly admitted it. At the time of the crime, defendant Honda was living with his wife and their newborn child. To an outsider, it might have seemed like they were leading happy lives, but why did he commit such a foolish act?

The motive for the crime revealed in court was a selfish reason: he could not engage in sexual activities due to his wife’s pregnancy. Defendant Honda.

“I started doing it alone, but because I didn’t want my wife to find out, I began doing it in the car. Gradually, I began to feel the thrill of possibly being seen by passersby. It escalated from there.”

is how it is explained.

“I had parked my car on the shoulder and was engaging in masturbation, but I thought I would be more excited if someone watched, so it seems I was driving around looking for women I preferred. I approached a high school girl, saying things like, ‘I’ll give you 10,000 yen if you watch.’ I was particularly persistent with victim A, following her and grabbing her hand,” (said a national newspaper judicial affairs reporter).

When asked by the lawyer about what he thinks of the victim’s sense of fear,

“I couldn’t think that far with just my own desires.”

He is stating such a selfish reason. Furthermore, the lawyer questioned the reason for relentlessly pursuing only Mr. A.

She was a wonderful woman, so I wanted you to see her

Honda drove around looking for women he liked. When he spotted A walking on the street, he got out of his car and hurled obscene comments at her. Sensing danger, A turned back the way she came, but Honda walked beside her, repeatedly saying:

“How old are you?”
“I’ll give you money, so will you watch?”
“No?”

He even grabbed A’s arm.

When asked why, he explained:

“Since it looked like other passersby might think I was hitting on her, I grabbed her hand so it would seem like we knew each other.”

When the judge asked, “If you thought people were watching, wouldn’t a normal person stop and leave?” Honda answered:

“She had a wonderful atmosphere, so I wanted her to watch. I wanted to talk a little more.”

Finally, when the judge asked, “Have you ever actually paid money to have someone watch you?” he replied:

“Not even once,”

and the defendant questioning concluded.

Honda cited his wife’s pregnancy — which meant they could not have sex — as the reason for his crimes. But considering the fear he caused the victims, there is absolutely no room for sympathy.