First smartphone] “I heard that voyeurism with a smartphone is popular” – Foolish act committed by an indecent habitual offender imprisoned for 17 years.
Repeated voyeurism and break-ins
“I felt like I was in control by seeing [women] in their unprotected state and having access to their keys and personal information.
The 57-year-old man, who repeatedly broke into women’s rooms to film them naked and steal their room keys, stated his motive at trial: ” On May 11, 2014, the fourth trial of Masahiro Suzuki, 57, a cleaner in Taito Ward, Tokyo, was held at the Tokyo District Court and concluded.
On November 4, 2013, Suzuki was arrested by the Ayase Police Station of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department on suspicion of photographing sexual acts and breaking and entering. In July 2013, he allegedly entered the premises of an apartment building in Tokyo and filmed the resident, Ms. A, through the window with a smartphone.
In fact, Suzuki was arrested once before, in October ’25, on suspicion of attempted indecent assault and other offenses, including breaking into Ms. A’s room and attempting to commit indecent acts, such as touching her body. He was later released with a suspended sentence, but was re-arrested after videos of three women, including Ms. A, being photographed naked were found on his phone. And thereafter, he was repeatedly arrested and prosecuted.”
What became clear at the trial was the “habitual” nature of the defendant Suzuki, who repeatedly committed crimes in a haphazard manner while wandering around at night: “I entered the room because the door was unlocked,” and “I saw naked women through the window, so I turned the video around.
According to the indictment and opening statement read by the prosecutor, the victims were four women, A to D, in the order of indictment.
In July 2013, Suzuki entered the premises of Ms. A’s apartment on two separate occasions and filmed her nakedness through the window. In August of the same year, he broke into Ms. B’s unlocked room and stole one of the keys. In September of the same year, he again filmed Ms. C naked through a window of her lodging facility. In November 2012, he broke into Ms. D’s room, stole her key, and took a video of her naked body.
Although he remained silent immediately after his arrest, Suzuki admitted at trial that he was “sure” he was guilty of these three crimes: photographing sexual intercourse, breaking and entering, and theft.
“Information on the smartphone” heard in prison
The crime against Mr. B was discovered when images of his and his sister’s driver’s licenses were saved on their smartphones. A tag with Ms. B’s name was attached by defendant Suzuki to the key to Ms. B’s room, which was found during a search of the house.
In her statement, Ms. B expressed her disgust and fear.
If I had not changed the locks, there is a possibility that the criminal would have entered my house and I would have been further damaged. It makes me really sick to think that the perpetrator went to the trouble of putting a tag with my name on it.”
Suzuki was in prison for 17 years from ’06 for four counts of rape and other crimes.’ He was released on parole on November 30, 2011, but less than a year later, he committed the case of Ms. D. When asked by his defense attorney why he committed the crime so quickly after his release from prison, Suzuki replied, “I was under a lot of stress from work and from being out of prison.
He answered, “I developed bad habits due to the stress of work and the indescribable loneliness I felt after I got out of prison. I started going out alone at night, and I think that’s when the incident occurred.
In the case of Mr. D, he explained that when he entered the room and stole the key, he happened to see him naked, so he took a video of him. He then stated, “I felt like I was in control,” as he described it at the beginning of the interview.
He added, “I wasn’t planning to use a duplicate key to re-enter the house or anything like that. I stole the keys to the victims’ houses, and I felt like I was in control of the situation, that if I wanted to break in again, I could always enter.
Suzuki said that this was the first time he had a smartphone since his release from prison. The last time he was incarcerated was 20 years ago, when smartphones were not yet widespread. Suzuki said, “Even in prison, I had heard some information about the popularity of voyeuristic photography with smartphones.” However, he stated, “I don’t remember exactly” when he came up with the idea of taking videos of naked women.
I wonder myself.”
In his plea, the prosecutor pointed out that “each of the crimes in question was committed for sexual purposes, which is common to his previous convictions. In addition to the fact that the offenders were found to be habitual offenders, it must be said that their awareness of the norms regarding sexual crimes has become extremely impaired, ” and requested a sentence of five years in prison.
On the other hand, the defense counsel said, “ We have to condemn thedefendantfor repeating the same kind of crime, namely, sexual crimes,” but also stated, “ The defendant is deeply remorseful,” and “He has promised to be treated at a specialized clinic in the future,” etc.“After giving him an opportunity to work on preventing recidivism with professional support, he actually returned to society, I believe it is necessary for the defendant himself to face the seriousness of his crime and prevent recidivism,” and stated that “a sentence of one year and six months in prison is appropriate.
At the trial, the defendant Suzuki reiterated the circumstances of the crime , saying, “The door happened to be unlocked and I went inside, and it happened to be such a scene (of a woman naked), so I recorded it.
When the prosecutor asked him if the thought of going back to jail had not occurred to him at the time of the crime, he replied, “I wonder myself why I didn’t think of that.
Suzuki promised, “With the help of outside support, I want to break the bad habit this time. What will the judiciary think of Suzuki, who has committed a second crime in the short time since his release from prison?
The verdict is scheduled to be handed down on May 27.

Interview and text by: Nakahira Ryo PHOTO: Shinji Hasuo
