<figure id="attachment_471810" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-471810" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6ed82a14"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2026/06/718e10a91b91292ebdfb4e87e7fe061e.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-471810" class="wp-caption-text">What was the sentence handed down to a former middle school teacher who repeatedly engaged in “sugar daddy” relationships on social media?</figcaption></figure>
<h3><span class="strongInContent"> The Sentence Handed Down to the Former Junior High School Teacher</span></h3>
<p> A 36-year-old former junior high school teacher who repeatedly engaged in so-called “sugar dating”—providing money in exchange for sexual acts—with minors fell silent for a moment when the presiding judge asked <span class="strongInContent">, “Why did you target only young girls?”</span> After stammering, <span class="strongInContent">“I don’t know,”</span> he answered, as if forcing the words out:</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “I guess I felt a sense of transgression or something like that.”</span></p>
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<p> Defendant Gaku Nakamura (36), a former teacher at a Niigata City public junior high school, had been charged with non-consensual sexual intercourse and other offenses involving four girls he met on social media. It was revealed that he had filed an appeal by June 12, following the sentencing.</p>
<p> At the sentencing hearing held at the Saitama District Court on May 27, ’26, Presiding Judge Kenichi Emi handed down a sentence of <span class="strongInContent">“five years in prison” (the prosecution had sought seven years)</span>, stating <span class="strongInContent">, “The defendant took advantage of the victims’ immaturity in judgment, and the violation of their sexual freedom cannot be ignored.”</span></p>
<p> During the trial, it was revealed that he had committed despicable crimes by demanding sexual acts from girls the same age as his own students while dangling the prospect of money.</p>
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<p> Defendant Nakamura sent <span class="strongInContent">messages to</span> the social media accounts of female junior high and high school students, <span class="strongInContent">asking, “Are you short on money?” and “If you’ll meet me, I’ll help you out.”</span> When he received a reply, he engaged in sexual acts with them at hotels in and around Tokyo, filming and saving the encounters on his smartphone. It is alleged that he required them to bring their school uniforms or gym clothes with them at that time.</p>
<p> He is charged with non-consensual sexual intercourse and filming sexual poses with Ms. A through Ms. C, who were between 13 and 15 years old at the time, as well as violations of the Child Pornography Prohibition Act. Regarding Ms. A, he sent messages multiple times such asmessages <span class="strongInContent">such as “I want to meet you. Is 4.5 [45,000 yen] okay?”</span> he is also charged with soliciting a meeting with a person under the age of 16.Furthermore, he was charged with four counts against Student D—including soliciting the transmission of obscene images from a person under 16, non-consensual obscenity, photographing sexual poses, and violating the Child Pornography Prohibition Act—for allegedly paying her to send obscene videos.</p>
<p> On April 21, the Niigata City Board of Education dismissed defendant Nakamura from his position through disciplinary action.</p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" “I never knew a world like this existed.”"></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">The “Reason” for Targeting Only Young Girls</span></h3>
<p> What prompted the defendant, Nakamura, to get involved in sugar dating? During the trial, she explained that the “trigger” <span class="strongInContent">was</span> that <span class="strongInContent">“due to stress from my personal relationships, I started using my smartphone more often and accidentally came across sexual posts on social media that appeared to be for sugar dating purposes.”</span> She reflected on her state of mind at the time as follows:</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “When I found those sexual posts, I was surprised to learn that such a world existed. So, just to try it out—and without even knowing the other person’s age—I sent a direct message out of curiosity saying, ‘I’ll give you X amount of money.’ And I got a reply. I think the turning point was realizing that if I set the terms, the other person would respond.”</span></p>
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<p> However, with women of all ages posting for sugar dating, why did he send messages only to young girls? Defendant Nakamura explained it this way.</p>
<p><span class="strongInContent"> “When I searched for the term ‘short on cash,’ more young girls appeared in the results than adults. And I thought, ‘If I’m going to do this, I might as well meet girls who are as young as possible—the kind I wouldn’t be able to meet at adult entertainment establishments.’ I think there was also an element of curiosity about whether I could actually meet them and just how young they would be.”</span></p>
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<p> Defendant Nakamura spoke <span class="strongInContent">of “curiosity”</span> and <span class="strongInContent">the</span> like. However, when Presiding Judge Emi asked <span class="strongInContent">, “Why did you prefer girls aged 13 to 15?”</span> he immediately faltered, muttered <span class="strongInContent">, “Well, it’s just…,”</span> and then fell silent.After a moment, he began <span class="strongInContent">, “It was because I met girls the same age as the ones I usually interact with (as a teacher)…”</span> and, as mentioned at the beginning, stated that <span class="strongInContent">he “felt a sense of transgression.”</span></p>
<p> When Presiding Judge Emi pressed further, asking <span class="strongInContent">, “So, is it a matter of preference—or rather, a taste—that you find that age group appealing?”</span> he replied in a low voice, <span class="strongInContent">“That’s right.”</span></p>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" What if one of your own students were involved in a “sugar daddy” relationship?"></div>
<h3><span class="strongInContent">He had filed an appeal</span></h3>
<p> While defendant Nakamura repeatedly engaged in “sugar daddy” arrangements with the girl, he was in a position at his middle school to provide guidance on social media use. It is reported that before long school breaks, such as summer vacation, he would warn students, <span class="strongInContent">“You must not connect with strangers on social media or meet them without careful consideration.”</span></p>
<p> When the prosecutor asked, <span class="strongInContent">“If one of your students were trying to engage in ‘sugar dating,’ what would you do?”</span> he replied <span class="strongInContent">, “I would do everything in my power to stop them. I would contact the relevant authorities, share the information with everyone so they wouldn’t have to deal with it alone, and try to understand the situation.”</span></p>
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<p> Defendant Nakamura met with Ms. A through Ms. C in the Tokyo metropolitan area and communicated with Ms. D via a messaging app.This was presumably to avoid detection at the junior high school where she worked, but at the same time, she may have intended to fulfill her duties as a teacher in front of her students. However, the fact that a teacher who instructed students during their formative years as junior high schoolers was arrested for sexually abusing girls of the same age as her students constitutes a betrayal of every student she has ever taught.</p>
<p> In his final statement <span class="strongInContent">,</span> Defendant Nakamura <span class="strongInContent">apologized</span>, saying <span class="strongInContent">, “I deeply apologize for the trouble I have caused the victims, school officials, and many others.”</span> As mentioned earlier, it was revealed that he had filed an appeal by June 12.</p>
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<p> During the closing arguments, the defense attorney stated <span class="strongInContent">, “Settlements have been reached with two of the four female victims,” “He is undergoing counseling to reevaluate his sexual tendencies,”</span> and <span class="strongInContent">“We can expect his parents to supervise him in the future,”</span> and argued <span class="strongInContent">, “We hope the court will grant a suspended sentence after considering mitigating circumstances.”</span> It appears he was dissatisfied with the sentence of “five years’ imprisonment.”</p>
<p> The case will now be reheard at the High Court.</p>


 Ryo Nakahira

 A former middle school teacher, who was sentenced to five years in prison for charges including non-consensual sexual intercourse after repeatedly engaging in “sugar daddy” relationships with girls the same age as his students, filed an appeal by June 12. Why did he target only young girls? We look back on the trial so far.

Former Middle School Teacher Who Repeatedly Engaged in “Sugar Daddy” Relationships with Girls the Same Age as His Students: Why He Was Obsessed with “Young Girls”

Former Middle School Teacher Who Repeatedly Engaged in “Sugar Daddy” Relationships with Girls the Same Age as His Students: Why He Was Obsessed with “Young Girls”

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