Experts Reveal Why Former JumPoke Shingi Saito Faces Prison Instead of 25 Million Yen Settlement

She knew he had a wife and children

Shinji Saito (43), former member of the comedy trio “Jungle Pocket”, is charged with non-consensual intercourse and indecent acts for sexually assaulting a woman in her 20s on a location bus. The second trial was held on March 17 at Tokyo District Court.

The prosecution called the victim’s mother and the victim herself as witnesses. The victim testified via television broadcast.

At the first trial on March 13, the defense admitted that acts such as kissing and oral intercourse occurred, but Saito maintained:

“I believed she consented,”

denying the charges and pleading not guilty.

According to the prosecution, inside the location bus, Saito leaned toward the victim, saying things like:

“You’re cute.”

The victim pushed him away with both hands, saying:

“Please stop.”

However, the prosecution claims that Saito kissed her and inserted his tongue.

Meanwhile, according to the defense, after returning to the bus in the afternoon from the shoot, when the woman boarded the bus again, Saito allegedly exposed himself, believing:

“She wants it,”

and the victim performed oral intercourse for about 10 seconds.

The defense stated that Saito apologized to the woman, saying:

“There was consent, but there are points I should reflect on,”

and that settlement negotiations were ongoing.

In the second trial, the victim revealed that Saito grabbed her cheek and kissed her, testifying:

“I was shocked. We had just met, it was still morning, and I knew Saito had a wife and children. I thought it was abnormal and became scared when he kissed me on the work location bus.”

Her mother recalled the LINE message she received from her daughter:

“‘JumPoke Saito is really gross; he tried to kiss me,’ and I thought it was disgusting,”

reflecting on how she felt at the time.

On a location bus where escape was difficult

The victim’s mother said she spoke with her daughter after she returned home to hear the details of what had happened. The victim said:

“Why does this always happen to me?”
“Now I finally understand how the people who experienced the same things reported on TV must have felt.”

Her mother added:

“My daughter’s body was defiled, and it was really awful to see.”

The victim also revealed that Saito’s side offered a settlement of 25 million yen with two conditions:

① Continuation of entertainment activities

② No request for punishment

However, she strongly stated:

“I want criminal punishment, not a settlement.”

With Saito’s side claiming innocence and the victim refusing a high settlement while seeking criminal penalties, there is a large gap between their positions. How do legal experts view this situation?

Kenta Morimi of Morimi Law Office explained:

“In this case, Saito simply assumed consent, and given the circumstances at the time, it may be difficult for him to claim not guilty by disputing consent. The victim has provided detailed testimony, which could serve as strong evidence leading to a conviction.”

The context of the act is also an important factor:

“Because this occurred on a location bus, where the victim had little chance to escape, this is considered a highly malicious case. Additionally, the victim rejected the high settlement of 25 million yen from Saito, making it unlikely that a settlement will proceed. Her desire for punishment is very strong. If convicted of non-consensual intercourse and indecent acts, under the law at the time, the sentence could exceed five years in prison, but considering possible mitigating factors, it could be around two and a half years.”

Saito has also been reported to have multiple instances of infidelity. Could he not have controlled his behavior at some point?