42-year-old woman arrested for kidnapping teenage boy after taking him to hotel

According to police, Shiho Ito, a school lunch cook from Okawa City, Fukuoka Prefecture, got acquainted with the boy, whose age hasn’t been revealed, on a social networking site, Sankei Shimbun reported. She arranged to meet him on a street on Oct 20 and asked if he’d like to go to a hotel.

Perhaps she interested to know, for who she serve the meal everyday. Also this is show equality, not only oyaji has the right to do strange awkward thing.

If she was arrested, I'm assuming the teenage boy was younger than 16. But that information should be included; is he a minor or not?

As @Wick's pencil has said, we don't know the boy's age so it could be because he's a minor, but:

”He came with me of his own will. That is not kidnapping.”

I kind of agree. If it is, then I was kidnapped a bunch when I was a teenager. Parents' friends' cars, parents of friends' cars, a teacher who passed by while I was walking my bike home because it had a puncture, some older girls from school who offered me a ride home... .Of course, none of those people took me to a hotel - actually one did but it was because we had just moved to the area and were living there at the time. But then the question becomes, did she detain him there, or could he leave any time?

the question becomes, did she detain him there, or could he leave any time?

She perhaps put the strong word on him; you can check out any time you like , but you can never leave.

Sounds dodgy! Wonder if the parents tried to extort money from her...

 42-year-old woman on suspicion of kidnapping a teenage boy by taking him to a hotel for the purpose of engaging in lewd activities.

She should be investigated and prosecuted in the same way as a 42-year-old man who is doing exactly the same with a girl of the same age. Laws are gender-neutral and should be executed like that.

The boy is likely underage (younger than 16) and cannot give consent, otherwise why should he tell parents about that and why should police act and arrest this woman?

Hawk

I kind of agree. If it is, then I was kidnapped a bunch when I was a teenager. Parents' friends' cars, parents of friends' cars, a teacher who passed by while I was walking my bike home because it had a puncture, some older girls from school who offered me a ride home... .Of course, none of those people took me to a hotel - actually one did but it was because we had just moved to the area and were living there at the time.

Agree the "suspicion of kidnapping" is weird charge. Maybe Japanese law has a strange definition of "kidnapping".

She should be investigated and prosecuted in the same way as a 42-year-old man who is doing exactly the same with a girl of the same age. Laws are gender-neutral and should be executed like that.

Disagree. I applaud your desire for equality, but men and women are fundamentally different. The idea that laws must be applied equally, especially in cases like this, is just senseless.

a teenage boy

is that 13? 19? 16? It kinda makes a difference.

taking him to a hotel for the purpose of engaging in lewd activities

if the teen is 19, this is a bad thing?

I'm sorely tempted to reply like many of the men do here, and say something like,

"We should put some of the blame on the boy, maybe he is engaging in prostitution, or lied about his age, or is lying, or ..."

But I won't, because that would be wrong. Instead, I'll say this:

commanteerToday 10:27 am JST

She should be investigated and prosecuted in the same way as a 42-year-old man who is doing exactly the same with a girl of the same age. Laws are gender-neutral and should be executed like that.

Disagree. I applaud your desire for equality, but men and women are fundamentally different. The idea that laws must be applied equally, especially in cases like this, is just senseless.

shogun36Today 11:06 am JST

a teenage boy

is that 13? 19? 16? It kinda makes a difference.

taking him to a hotel for the purpose of engaging in lewd activities

if the teen is 19, this is a bad thing?

The ender of the perpetrator or the victim is irrelevant - adults should not seek out sex with minors, as they do not have the maturity to understand their actions or think them through, and therefore cannot give active consent.

It is illegal for a reason. It is a form of rape and sexual abuse.

This article is so incomplete, is ridiculous.

No info of:

age of the boy?

why is it a kidnapping if the boy just returned home normally?

was the boy abused in any way?

if the boy is indeed underage, then this case can be judged as pedophilia also.

So many questions.

Doesn't sound like kidnapping, but if he was a minor then they've got her for lewd acts with a minor.

girl_in_tokyo

I wonder what age you think is mature enough to give consent responsibly.

smithinjapanToday  01:47 pm JST

Doesn't sound like kidnapping, but if he was a minor then they've got her for lewd acts with a minor.

Not sure about that, depends on the age of this boy and the definition what is 'kidnapping'.

You are definitively not allowed to approach children in the street (not sure about the age limit - 16?) and without the consent of the parents the child gets in your car and you drive away and share together a private room in a hotel - regardless if this is done for the purpose of lewd acts or not.

shiho ito, a school lunch cook

let that sink in...

Not much info, it could be just anything. Anyone can be suspicious on case like this, even a boy.

Women paedophiles. More common than one might think and way underreported. Glad he spoke out about it. Most boys don't, unfortunately.

Make sure she gets the exact same penalty a man would get.

Girl in Tokyo: "The (g)ender of the perpetrator or the victim is irrelevant - adults should not seek out sex with minors, as they do not have the maturity to understand their actions or think them through, and therefore cannot give active consent.

It is illegal for a reason. It is a form of rape and sexual abuse."

I agree in some ways but when someone hits their 20th birthday, the day before they were immature but today they all of a sudden get "the maturity to understand their actions(?)" Possible but doubtful. Maturity, especially sexual maturity, and age are not in lockstep with each other. By sexual maturity, I am not just talking development of body parts, but also in knowing what it's all about, experiencing it and even being the one on the hunt, if you will. The legal age is just that: It's for legal purposes. Believe what you want but I know several younger teenagers who know exactly what they are doing, are good at it, enjoy it and do not feel or act like victims.

The boy got into her car and she drove him to a hotel in Miyoshi, Hiroshima Prefecture.

Its also kind of odd that she picked him up in Okawa in Fukuoka and took him to Miyoshi in Hiroshima. Those two towns are about 400km apart and it must take 6-7 hours to drive from one to the other.

it must take 6-7 hours to drive to the hotel

hence the kidnapping charge...

well spotted!!

I'm surprised so many here seem to be confused about the kidnapping charge. From the many articles appearing here and other English-language JP news sites, that is what is usually charged in these cases of an adult taking a minor to a hotel or their home, and engaging in sexual activity. Sometimes, even without any mention of sexual activity.

Apparently, there is no equivalent charge to "statutory rape" that I have seen, as of yet.

Its also kind of odd that she picked him up in Okawa in Fukuoka and took him to Miyoshi in Hiroshima.

It doesn't say where she picked him up.

From the many articles appearing here and other English-language JP news sites, that is what is usually charged in these cases of an adult taking a minor to a hotel or their home, and engaging in sexual activity. Sometimes, even without any mention of sexual activity.

Do they say he was a minor?

I would've lived that moment over and over again in my dreams. I definitely would never have told my parents.

I would've lived that moment over and over again in my dreams. I definitely would never have told my parents.

And that is one reason why child abusers often get away with molesting kids - again and again.

The fact this boy told his parents was because what had happened to him clearly troubled him. He is a hero for speaking up. Those spreading the myth that underage children want sexual relations with adults are ignorant of the lifelong damage of child sexual abuse. They should read up.

The fact this boy told his parents was because what had happened to him clearly troubled him.

Or perhaps the "fact" was that he stayed out overnight and his parents troubled him. Articles like this are useless. We learn almost nothing.