<figure id="attachment_466420" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-466420" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="acd69eb8"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/04/d0d648bee85d5c171256119372c1cc32.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-466420" class="wp-caption-text">The dastardly crime took place in a hospital room (images are for reference only)</figcaption></figure>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> She took off her clothes and exposed her breasts.</span></h3>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> Please take off your top clothes so that we can take X-rays for medical examination.</span></p>
<p> The radiology technician who visited the hospital room of Ms. A (then 18 years old), a high school girl who had been hospitalized, said this to her while operating a mobile x-ray machine. Ms. A complied as she was told. However, when Ms. A later asked her doctor about the results of the x-rays, he told her that he had never ordered the x-rays to be taken. What in the world had happened?</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> On January 28, 2014, the Ichikawa Police Station of the Chiba Prefectural Police Department arrested Takumi Ozawa, 29, a radiology technician at Tokyo Dental College Ichikawa General Hospital (now International University of Health and Welfare, Ichikawa General Hospital), on suspicion of indecent assault with intent to defraud. Ozawa is suspected of lying to Ms. A in her hospital room, saying that it was a legitimate examination, and forcing her to remove her clothes and expose her breasts on two occasions. Ozawa stated that he did it out of stress and anxiety about his future.</span></p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> In response to Ozawa&#8217;s arrest, the hospital stated, &#8220;We take the fact that we caused anxiety and emotional distress to our patients extremely seriously. We will make a strict and appropriate decision regarding the staff member in question and take appropriate action,&#8221; the hospital posted on its website.</span><span class="strongInContent"> Subsequently, Ozawa was dismissed on disciplinary grounds.</span></p>
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<p> On April 22, the first trial of Ozawa, who is charged with indecency with non-consent, was held at the Chiba District Court and concluded on the same day.</p>
<p> The indictment and opening statement read by the prosecutor revealed that Ozawa had committed the despicable act of forcing Ms. A to remove her clothes on <span class="strongInContent">the pretext that it was &#8220;necessary for her medical examination.</span></p>
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<p> It was an afternoon in early December of last year when Ozawa visited Ms. A&#8217;s hospital room. Ozawa had spotted Ms. A in advance by reading her electronic medical record and knew her room number.</p>
<p> An hour later, Ozawa visited Ms. A&#8217;s room in the same manner, stripped her naked again, and then slipped down her pants and underwear to expose her lower abdomen. He then slipped down her pants and underwear to expose her lower abdomen.</p>
<p> Later, when Ms. A and her mother asked her doctor about the results of the x-rays, the doctor became suspicious because he had never ordered the x-rays to be taken, and an in-hospital investigation was conducted. The hospital investigation was then conducted. Based on the access history of Ms. A&#8217;s electronic medical record and security camera footage, the crime was discovered to have been committed by the defendant Ozawa. An examination of the x-ray equipment revealed that, in fact, no imaging had taken place.</p>
<p> The defendant Ozawa admitted the indictment <span class="strongInContent">, saying, &#8220;There is no doubt about it.</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Originally, he was asked to cover his upper body with a bath towel"></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">I will remain silent&#8221; about the crimes committed against other women.</span></h3>
<p> At the trial, a statement from the chief engineer, Ozawa&#8217;s supervisor, was read out. He said, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;When taking chest X-rays, women are given bath towels to cover their upper bodies in advance,&#8221; and &#8220;If a woman has difficulty in taking off her clothes, a female nurse is called in to help her.</span></p>
<p> Naturally, Ozawa must have known about this, but did he think that Ms. A, who was still in her teens, could be fooled? In fact, he <span class="strongInContent">admits that</span> after coming up with the idea of performing an indecent act under the guise of taking X-rays, he went through the electronic medical records and <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;checked the age and sex of the person to find the person to commit the crime</span>.</p>
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<p> Why did Ozawa commit such a crime? As for his motive, he stated.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I think it was because of the change in working conditions due to the merger (of the hospital), or because the girlfriend I was dating at the time broke up with me. However, as to why I committed the sexual offense, even now I think about it, I still don&#8217;t know why I did what I did.&#8221;</span></p>
<p> He then explained his reasons, saying that after he was released on bail, he began attending a mental health clinic.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> I felt that there was something wrong with me as a human being for committing such an act, so I decided to go to a mental health clinic.</span></p>
<p> Although Ozawa had admitted to committing the crime against Ms. A from the time of his arrest, he remained silent at the investigation stage as <span class="strongInContent">to whether or not he had seen other women, other than Ms. A, naked in the guise of taking X-rays</span>. When the prosecutor asked him again about this point, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;Other than Ms. A, have you ever undressed anyone else?&#8221;</span> he again replied, <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;I will remain silent.</span></p>
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<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" Mr. A&#39;s angry words."></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">I distrust men.&#8221;</span></h3>
<p> In his closing argument on the day of the trial, the prosecutor requested a sentence of <span class="strongInContent">one year and six months in confinement</span><span class="strongInContent">, citing &#8220;a despicable and malicious crime committed by abusing his position as a radiology technician&#8221; and &#8220;the possibility of a second offense remains since he made vague statements about his motive for committing the crime</span>.</p>
<p> On the other hand, the defense attorney stated that <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;</span><span class="strongInContent">he has expressed sincere remorse and apologies</span>,&#8221; that <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;he is deeply aware of his sexual addiction tendencies and is attending <wbr></wbr>a mental clinic,&#8221; and that</span><span class="strongInContent">&#8220;</span><span class="strongInContent">family supervision can be expected in the future,&#8221; and</span> that <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;he hopes to be given a suspended sentence</span>.</p>
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<p> At the trial, the prosecutor read Ms. A&#8217;s statement, in which she expressed her strong anger toward Ozawa.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> The criminal tricked me into undressing, and when he saw me naked and touched me, I had trouble sleeping, couldn&#8217;t go to crowded places, and distrusted men. I want the perpetrator to be punished severely. I don&#8217;t want him to be involved in medical care in the future.&#8221;</span></p>
<p> If an X-ray technician told her that <span class="strongInContent">he needed her for a medical examination</span>, she would believe him as he was. How many people would <span class="strongInContent">suspect that the X-ray technician was doing it for the purpose of obscenity</span>?</p>
<p> Ms. A, who no longer believes the obvious statement that <span class="strongInContent">&#8220;medical personnel are supposed to do what is necessary for medical treatment,&#8221;</span> may be driven to doubt and suspicion at any time in the future. As of now, no settlement has been reached between Ozawa and Ms. A.</p>
<p> The verdict is scheduled to be handed down on May 12.</p>
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 Ryo Nakahira

 On April 22, the Chiba District Court heard the case of a man who indecently assaulted a high school girl on the pretext of taking an X-ray. What were the details of the defendant's despicable act that took advantage of the trust people have in medical professionals?

A radiology technician&#8217;s &#8220;despicable&#8221; act of indecent assault on a high school girl by making her take off her clothes on the pretext of taking an X-ray.

A radiology technician’s “despicable” act of indecent assault on a high school girl by making her take off her clothes on the pretext of taking an X-ray.

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