Police have arrested two primary school teachers in Japan for taking and sharing indecent images of young girls in a chat group with fellow teachers. The two men, a 42-year-old teaching at a public school in Nagoya and a 37-year-old based in a public school in Yokohama, admitted taking some photographs and videos of girls below the age of 13, local police told the BBC. The images - including so-called upskirt photographs - were then shared in the group of 10 primary and junior high school teachers, which was managed by one of the arrested. Japan has only recently banned upskirting and secret filming of sexual acts as part of wider sex crime reforms. The teachers' chat group came to light after one of the teachers involved was arrested for having "deposited bodily fluids" on a 15-year-old girl's backpack, Japan's Asahi Shimbun reported. A forensic review of his mobile phone then led to the discovery of the chat group, which was hosted on an unnamed social media platform. The material shared included upskirt photographs, as well as clips of girls changing, and what appeared to be "deepfakes" created from the girls' headshots. Some of these photographs appeared to have been taken in schools, police said, but it is unclear if these were the schools were members of the groups taught at. in May 2023, as part of a wider overhaul of its century-old laws on sex crimes, after multiple rape acquittals in 2019 caused outcry. Specifically, the laws ban the filming of children "in a sexual manner without justifiable reason". Offenders would face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 3 million Japanese yen (£15,160; $20,800). The 2023 reforms to Japan's sex crime laws alsoexpanded the definition of rapeand raised the age of consent from 13 to 16.
Japan arrests primary school teachers for sharing upskirt photos
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"Two Japanese Teachers Arrested for Sharing Indecent Images of Minors"
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TruthLens AI Summary
Two primary school teachers in Japan have been arrested for taking and distributing indecent images of young girls, including upskirt photos, in a private chat group. The suspects, aged 42 and 37, were employed at public schools in Nagoya and Yokohama, respectively. They reportedly admitted to capturing photographs and videos of girls under the age of 13. The police discovered the chat group of ten teachers after one of the members was apprehended for an unrelated incident involving inappropriate behavior towards a minor. A forensic examination of his phone revealed the existence of the group and the alarming content shared among its members. The material included not only upskirt images but also videos of girls changing and manipulated images that are believed to be deepfakes created from the girls' headshots. Investigators noted that some of the photographs seemed to have been taken within school premises, although it remains uncertain whether the schools attended by the girls were the same as those where the teachers worked.
This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding child exploitation in Japan, particularly in light of recent changes to the country’s laws regarding sex crimes. In May 2023, Japan implemented significant reforms to its century-old sex crime legislation, prompted by public outrage over several high-profile rape acquittals in 2019. The new laws criminalize the filming of children in a sexual manner without justifiable reason, imposing penalties of up to three years of imprisonment or fines reaching 3 million Japanese yen. Additionally, the reforms expanded the legal definition of rape and increased the age of consent from 13 to 16 years old. These changes reflect a growing recognition of the need to protect children from sexual exploitation and to strengthen legal measures against offenders in Japan, as authorities continue to confront such serious crimes within educational settings.
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