Man in His 50s Breaks Into Home of Woman He Filmed—Attempted Assault Reveals Dangerous Pattern

What was the voyeur’s ultimate objective?

A man in his mid-50s, fixated on a woman in her 20s, may have gradually escalated his crimes beyond control.

On November 6, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s First Investigative Division arrested Masahiro Suzuki (56), a self-employed man, on suspicion of housebreaking and filming a person’s sexual appearance.

“According to police, on the nights of July 18 and 22 this year, Suzuki trespassed into the premises of an apartment complex in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Through a gap in an open window, he allegedly filmed a woman in her 20s who lived there, capturing nude footage without her knowledge.

He had already been arrested once, on October 14. That arrest concerned suspicion of attempted non-consensual indecent assault for breaking into the same woman’s room on September 10 and attempting to commit an indecent act. During questioning, investigators found videos on his smartphone showing the victim naked, which led to uncovering the July incidents.

The two reportedly had no prior acquaintance, so it appears that Suzuki may have become fixated on the woman and escalated his behavior over time.” (national newspaper social affairs reporter)

On the morning of November 6, Suzuki emerged from the Ayase Police Station. Even as camera flashes burst around him, he kept his head down and entered the transport van. When he was previously sent to prosecutors in October for attempted non-consensual intercourse, he had appeared wearing earrings and no mask. This time, he wore a mask and looked somewhat more worn down.

Subsequent investigation revealed additional videos and photos of other women’s naked bodies stored on Suzuki’s smartphone. We asked former Kanagawa Prefectural Police detective and crime journalist Taihei Ogawa for insight.

“In this suspect’s case, the moment he secretly recorded a woman’s naked body, his true aim—sexual assault or sexual misconduct—was already evident. The voyeurism is merely preparation, a means of storing material, and it makes him extremely dangerous.

There are two types of voyeur offenders: those whose primary goal is simply voyeurism, and the other—the kind like this suspect—whose behavior escalates until the ultimate purpose becomes sexual acts. The suspect broke into the victim’s home, but some offenders go so far as to use the videos to threaten victims, saying things like ‘I’ll spread this nude footage’ to coerce sexual contact.”

As a result, some victims refrain from reporting the crime to the police out of fear that the images might be leaked.

“Police do their best to contain the damage, but there is no absolute guarantee that the footage won’t spread. Yes, there is a risk it could leak after reporting. But people must not forget that in the worst cases, such crimes can escalate into incidents as serious as murder.

Because TV often airs scenes of voyeur arrests, people tend to dismiss voyeurism as a minor offense. But in terms of criminal method, it is extremely malicious. It can easily lead to major crimes. If you have been secretly filmed or had indecent footage taken, I urge you to go to the police immediately.”

Suzuki is reportedly remaining silent during questioning.