Judge Calls Out Distorted Motive Behind Childcare Worker’s Abuse of 8 Kids

Indicted for indecency with eight boys

“I have always had a sexual interest in underage boys.”

The former nursery teacher, who reportedly committed sexual assaults and indecent acts against boys at the nursery where he worked, made this statement during interrogation.

On December 23, 2025, the Tokyo District Court handed down its verdict for the former nursery teacher, Kota Yamashiro (31).

Yamashiro, who worked at a nursery in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, was charged with indecent acts without consent and non-consensual sexual intercourse against eight boys, labeled A through H in the order they were indicted.

Presiding Judge Chikako Murata stated, “This is an utterly despicable crime that abuses the position of a nursery teacher, and the habitual nature of the offenses is evident,” and sentenced him to 13 years in prison (prosecutor requested 15 years).

During the trial, Yamashiro admitted to the crimes against seven of the boys, but regarding boy C, whose case was uncovered through the nursery’s security camera analysis, he claimed, “I did not commit the indecent acts.” The verdict found him not guilty of the acts against C, citing that reasonable doubt remains.

Judge Murata explained the acquittal:

“In the security camera footage, parts of C’s body were obscured by a bookshelf. It cannot be definitively determined that the movements of the defendant’s left thumb corresponded to C’s genitals.”

As a result, the judgment covered four cases of non-consensual sexual intercourse and four cases of non-consensual indecent acts against the seven boys, who were between 3 and 6 years old at the time. The offenses spanned November 2023 to August 2024, over a period of more than a year, during which training on how to interact with children was also conducted at the nursery. However, Yamashiro’s actions could not be stopped. The court noted that long-term confinement in a correctional facility is unavoidable. All of the affected boys reportedly were fond of Yamashiro.

The case came to light in August 2024.

Boy A reported, “(Yamashiro) licked my lower body,” prompting his father to consult the police. On October 9, the Mukojima Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Yamashiro on suspicion of non-consensual sexual acts.

During the investigation, analysis of the nursery’s security cameras uncovered additional offenses one after another. Furthermore, after seeing media reports, some parents came forward to the police, saying, “My child was also victimized.” One of these parents had heard about the abuse from their son immediately after the incident but did not report it to the nursery, thinking it might have been a misunderstanding on the child’s part.

“Teacher are you doing it?”

Yamashiro had been working at the nursery where the incidents occurred since 2019, but he voluntarily resigned in September 2024, before his arrest. Although the charges relate to offenses committed after 2023, complaints from parents had already emerged shortly after he began working, such as their children saying they had been touched. The nursery conducted interviews with him about five times before his arrest. Yamashiro later reflected on these interviews:

“The principal asked me if I had done anything regarding what the children were saying, but I denied it. Also, when asked, ‘You didn’t lick so-and-so’s lower body, right?’ I again denied it. I don’t think there was any specific guidance or instruction regarding how to interact with the children.”

When asked what triggered him to start committing obscene acts toward the boys, Yamashiro replied through his defense attorney:

“It was during nap time, and while the children were sleeping, some would touch their lower bodies unconsciously. That itself is not unusual. I would move their hands away to indicate it was not allowed, but by chance, my hand touched their lower body. I couldn’t forget the excitement of having touched it, and I thought, ‘I want to touch more,’ so I began targeting nap time to touch the boys’ lower bodies.”

From then on, he said he targeted boys who were fond of him, quiet, and wouldn’t tell others to commit the acts.

Additionally, some of the victims apparently did not understand the meaning of what was happening and thought it was just playing. Audio captured on the security camera recording the crime reportedly included a boy laughing and saying, “Teacher, are you (doing it)?”

Because of this, the parents of the victimized boys were deeply concerned about the potential impact if their sons realized in the future that they had been sexually abused. One parent even expressed their anger toward Yamashiro during a statement to the court.

“I wondered how far I could go”

“We are now living with the anxiety that one day our son’s smile might disappear. Even when he is smiling as usual, we worry every day while watching his expressions—wondering if it’s truly a heartfelt smile, or if somewhere he is forcing himself.”

“It is this anxiety about the future that is the most cruel psychological pain the defendant has caused us. Even though the incident has ended, our suffering as parents will continue for a lifetime.”

In court, defendant Yamashiro spoke about his motive for the crimes:

“At first, I was satisfied just by touching, but it escalated within me. I wondered how far I could go—like, I kind of wanted to try it, and from that desire, it ended up happening.”

Yamashiro claimed that he sought a sense of accomplishment from seeing how far he could go, rather than merely to satisfy sexual desire. In explaining the sentence, Judge Murata dismissed this, stating it was simply that the defendant could not control his sexual urges.

“Even when questioned about his motive, the defendant gave vague answers like ‘I just wanted to try it,’ but it is clear that the crimes were based on sexual desire. Considering that he committed multiple offenses even after interviews were conducted at his workplace nursery, it is evident that he could not control his sexual impulses.”

Throughout the trial, Yamashiro spoke in a low, muttering voice with his head down, and Judge Murata repeatedly instructed him, “Can you speak a little louder?” After the sentence was delivered, he showed no change in expression and left the courtroom with a calm demeanor.

Since then, Yamashiro did not appeal, and his sentence has already been finalized. It remains uncertain whether he will be able to confront his distorted sexual inclinations during life in prison.

“FRIDAY Digital” welcomes tips and information from readers. Please submit any information via the form below or contact our official X account.

Information form: https://friday.kodansha.co.jp/tips
Official X: https://x.com/FRIDAY_twit