Former Judo Instructor Who Abused Seven Girls Faces Victims’ Pain as His Apology Fails to Reach Them

Indicted on 10 charges involving nine children

“A vile crime in which the victims were used as a means to satisfy the defendant’s own sexual desires.”

On October 22, 2025, the presiding judge sentenced former judo school head instructor Katsutoshi Uchiyama (pseudonym, 33 at the time) to 22 years in prison (prosecutors had sought 25 years) for crimes including non-consensual sexual acts against multiple girls.

Uchiyama was charged with a total of 10 offenses involving nine children, including non-consensual sexual acts against seven girls under the age of 13 who were students at his judo school, recording sexually explicit images of children, and violations of the Act on Regulation and Punishment of Acts Relating to Child Pornography.

Uchiyama was first arrested by Chiba Prefectural Police in November 2024. The investigation began after an assault case involving a male child.

“The initial allegation against Uchiyama was that, during a judo camp held in May 2023, he forcibly poured soy sauce into the mouth of a 10-year-old male student, identified as A.

Later, on December 26, police rearrested him on suspicion of assault, alleging that he had choked A while the child was lying face down, using his right arm around the boy’s neck.”

According to a crime reporter from a national newspaper, the investigation into A’s assault case led to the discovery of extensive child pornography on Uchiyama’s smartphone.

“Police found what appeared to be a large number of child pornography files recorded by Uchiyama himself. The seized data included more than 100 video files and more than 400 still images.

Investigators analyzed the files and identified the female victims one by one, leading to a series of additional arrests.”

On January 7, 2025, Uchiyama was rearrested on suspicion of non-consensual sexual acts and other offenses against B, who was under the age of 13 at the time of the incident.

After that, arrests continued as additional victims—from C through H, also under the age of 13—were identified. By June 10, he had been arrested seven times.

As previously mentioned, Uchiyama was ultimately indicted on multiple charges, including assault against children, violations of the Child Welfare Act, non-consensual sexual acts, recording sexual images, and violations of child pornography laws.

Drugging victims to put them to sleep

At the first hearing held at the Chiba District Court on June 27, 2025, the indictment and opening statement read by prosecutors revealed the details of Uchiyama’s vile crimes. Some of the allegations are as follows:

・During a training camp, Uchiyama sexually assaulted C, who was asleep. At another camp, he gave C a drink containing sleeping medication and attempted to sexually assault her while she was unconscious, but abandoned the attempt when C moved her face.

・While D was sleeping inside a car parked at a service area, Uchiyama lifted her clothing and sexually assaulted her. He also sexually assaulted D while she was asleep during a training camp and on another occasion when she was sleeping in a vehicle.

・While F was sleeping during a training camp, Uchiyama lifted her clothing, committed lewd acts, and poured condensed milk around her genital area. At another camp, he also sexually assaulted her.

The crimes against victims B through F were all committed while the children were asleep, and the victims reportedly were not even aware that they had been harmed.

A memo was found on Uchiyama’s smartphone containing notes such as:

“Sleeping medicine camp — give sleeping pills when they go to sleep.”

At the second hearing on August 14, it was also revealed that Uchiyama had used his position as a judo instructor to sexually abuse I, who was under 18 at the time, committing non-consensual sexual acts on eight occasions.

This became the 10th criminal charge against Uchiyama.

Regarding his motive, Uchiyama reportedly told investigators:

“I could not control my desire to see and touch the sexual parts of girls I knew.

I committed these acts because I had a sexual tendency where I became aroused by secretly engaging in sexual acts without being discovered, looking at sexual parts of their bodies, and secretly filming them.”

Uchiyama admitted the charges against him, stating:

“There is absolutely no mistake in any of the allegations.”

However, during questioning by the court, he repeatedly gave vague and evasive answers. At one point, the prosecutor confronted him, saying:

“I believe the videos and still images contradict what you are saying objectively.”

He also made remarks that appeared to further upset the parents of the child victims.

In his final statement, Uchiyama bowed deeply and said:

“To all of the victims and their parents, I once again sincerely apologize from the bottom of my heart.”

However, those words were never enough to reach the victims or their families.

The “FRIDAY Digital” YouTube video provides further details of the trial, including the anger of parents who said:

“It feels as though the training camps were prepared as a tool for satisfying the defendant’s sexual desires,”

as well as comments made by Uchiyama that provoked outrage among the victims’ families.