“Common Among Sex Offenders”: “Cognitive Distortions” Admitted in Court by Defendant (35) Charged with Sexual Assault of a 13-Year-Old Girl

He invited her by asking, “Want to come over?”

“I’ll pick you up in my car, so give me your address. Let’s meet up sometime.”

These might be perfectly ordinary messages exchanged between a man and a woman who met on social media. However, when sent by a 35-year-old man to a 13-year-old girl, isn’t it rather disturbing?

On August 7, ’26, the first hearing for Shunsuke Sakane (35), a company employee from Tokyo charged with non-consensual sexual intercourse and other offenses, was held at the Yokohama District Court and concluded on the same day.

“Defendant Sakane was arrested by the Tsuzuki Police Station of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police by May 14, ’26, on charges including non-consensual sexual intercourse. He is suspected of luring a junior high school girl, Ms. A (13 at the time), into his car last December, abducting her, and sexually assaulting her at his home.The incident came to light when the girl’s mother called 110 to report that her daughter had not returned home. During questioning, defendant Sakane denied the charges, stating, ‘It was not for lewd purposes; I just wanted to hang out with her.’” (Social Affairs Reporter, National Newspaper)

Defendant Sakane, who entered the courtroom wearing a white T-shirt and green pants, was a large man with a full beard and mustache, and his long hair was tied back in a topknot. However, in contrast to his large frame, his voice was soft, and he often remained silent.

According to the indictment and the prosecutor’s opening statement, the two met after Defendant Sakane sent a message to Ms. A on Instagram.During their conversations via direct messages and phone calls, Ms. A had mentioned that she was “13 years old, a member of a club at her junior high school, and had a 5:00 p.m. curfew.” Nevertheless, without hesitation, the defendant, Sakane, sent Ms. A a message similar to the one described at the beginning and drove to pick her up.

When he asked A, “Want to come over?”, and she did not respond, he took her to his home and had sexual intercourse with her.

A’s mother, worried because her daughter had not returned home even after her 5:00 p.m. curfew, checked her smartphone’s location data and felt something was off about her whereabouts. Thinking, “My daughter might have been caught up in a crime, ” she called 110, which led to the discovery of the incident.

The Defendant’s “Silence” During the Trial

During questioning, Mr. A is said to have made the following statement regarding the incident.

“While (Defendant Sakane) was undressing me, I thought, ‘This wasn’t what I intended,’ and I felt scared. I wanted him to stop, but the words wouldn’t come out of my throat.

He drove me close to my house and said something like, ‘Let’s meet again,’ but I felt so uncomfortable that I didn’t respond. I never want to have anything to do with Defendant Sakane again.”

Defendant Sakane is alleged to have engaged in sexual intercourse without a condom.

Sakane regularly used social media to find friends and frequently exchanged messages with people he met there about everyday topics and hobbies.When his defense attorney asked, “Assuming you’ll eventually return to society, what precautions will you take going forward?” he stated, as if it were someone else’s problem , “I want to be careful because getting to know someone on social media can sometimes lead to getting caught up in incidents.” In response, the prosecutor asked , “You’re the one who committed the crime, aren’t you?” to which he replied, “Yes.”

During cross-examination, Defendant Sakane repeatedly asserted , “I met [Ms. A] not for sexual purposes, but just to hang out. I had no ulterior motives.” However, when pressed by the prosecutor, he fell silent and remained speechless.

Prosecutor: “Ms. A says you touched her in the car. Is that true?”

Defendant Sakane: “(In a low voice) I don’t remember.”

Prosecutor: “If it wasn’t for sexual purposes, then for what purpose did you meet her?”

Defendant Sakane: “……”

Prosecutor: “This is important, so please try to remember.” “Is it okay if you don’t answer?”

Defendant Sakane: “……”

Defendant Sakane often remained silent—whether because he didn’t want to answer or couldn’t—but regarding why he let Ms. A into his car and engaged in sexual intercourse, he stated, “Because she didn’t refuse.”

However, when the prosecutor asked , “Don’t you think even someone who doesn’t know the law would understand that you shouldn’t have sexual intercourse with a minor girl without using contraception?” he fell silent once again.

The “cognitive distortions” pointed out by the presiding judge

In his closing argument, the prosecutor stated, “There is significant concern regarding the impact this case will have on the future character development of the young victim, and the consequences of the crime are incalculable.”“It is clear that the defendant committed this crime to satisfy his own sexual desires, and there are absolutely no mitigating circumstances to be considered given the self-centered circumstances and motives,” the prosecutor stated, seeking “a five-year prison sentence.”

On the other hand, the defense attorney stated , “The defendant intends to use this incident as an opportunity to reset his life and start over from scratch. His determination to reform is unwavering,” and added, “We strongly hope for a lenient sentence.”

In his final statement, Defendant Sakane wiped his eyes and offered an apology, saying, “I am truly sorry to the victim for what I did.” Throughout the trial, when asked , “Didn’t you think about stopping the meetings once you learned she was 13 years old?” he remained silent; otherwise, he merely repeated, “She didn’t refuse me,” over and over.

To defendant Sakane, Presiding Judge Tetsuya Kagawa posed the following question:

“When a 13-year-old girl said she wanted to meet you, she agreed to meet you. Since she agreed to meet you, didn’t you think, ‘Maybe this girl has feelings for me’? And since she didn’t refuse when you touched her, didn’t you think it was okay to have sexual intercourse with her?

You’re saying that’s a distorted perception. You’re interpreting things to suit yourself. I don’t know about you, but this is common among people who commit sex crimes. I want you to think about whether you might have that tendency.”

In response to the presiding judge’s question, Defendant Sakane replied , “It’s true that I interpreted her not refusing as meaning it was okay,” and promised to seek treatment at a specialized clinic once he reintegrates into society.

During the trial, Defendant Sakane admitted to having “cognitive distortions.” But was that the only reason why the 35-year-old committed the crime against the 13-year-old victim? If he had been asked about his “sexual preferences,” how would he have answered?

The verdict is scheduled to be handed down on October 1.

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