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Actor Hirofumi Arai was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday after being convicted of sexual assault by the Tokyo District Court.
Arai, 40, was arrested on Feb 1 on suspicion of sexually assaulting a masseuse, who is in her 30s, at his apartment in Tokyo’s Setagaya Ward on July 1 last year. He was released six days later after paying 5 million yen bail.
In his trial that began on Sept 2, Arai was accused of sexually assaulting the woman who was dispatched to his apartment. The court heard that he also turned the lights down in the room so that the woman wouldn’t recognize him.
Arai claimed he was intoxicated at the time the assault took place and that his act was consensual. After his arrest, his management agency fired him. The release of his latest film, ”Zenaku no Kuzu,” was also canceled.
In handing down its sentence, the court called Arai’s act heinous. His lawyers said they will immediately appeal the sentence.
© Japan Today
21 Comments
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Marsh Mallow
That's a harsh sentence, especially for something that was not in public nor violent.
Depending on how serious the ''sexual assault'' this is a sentence more fit for rape.
Ascissor
Hence, that's the sentence he received.
PerformingMonkey
I wonder if they will deport him after he has served his sentence.
DaDude
Deport him where? Downtown Tokyo?
JeffLee
He claimed innocence. The Japanese judicial system doesn't look kindly on suspects who don't quickly confess. Stiff sentences act as a deterrent to other suspects thinking of claiming the police or prosecutors might be wrong.
Spitfire
Man,
He mustn't move in the Nippon Kaigi school of friends.
Surprised he has got so much jail time.
His circle mustn't include important people.
natsu823
Sexaully assualt is violent!
Lee Harold Irvin Romain
But it's just his word and against hers, there is no evidence, no trail. Just her screaming rape.
Lorem ipsum
Zenaku no kuzu. That movie title is quite befitting of him.
Alfie Noakes
He isn't the president of a massive entertainment company nor a mate of the Prime Minister (and he's got Korean nationality) so he's going down.
Yubaru
Call it what it is...RAPE! In my opinion, he got off lightly here! He is not going to get "rehabilitated" in jail here, his career is shot, and odds are this isnt the first time he has forced himself on a woman, just the first time he was caught and tried for it!
Wakarimasen
Some of the #BokuMo backlash against privileged celebs reaching these shores?
Yubaru
What "shores" are you talking about? If the hashtag is "BokuMo" that's here!
Strangerland
Huh? #BokuMo? What are guys posting on that hashtag?
Chottobaka
"Outcall massage". Yeah, I am sure that is 100% legitimate with no extra services offered. I think there is likely much more to this story than is being disclosed to the public. It wouldn't be the first time a high profile individual was set up in a dispute regarding payment or blackmail gone wrong.
Lucas Simms
@ Chottobaka
Yes, there is more to the story, it is that , as the public prosecutors said, Arai had signed a form banning customers from engaging in sexual activities with masseuses at the time he used the services.
His defence was that he assumed that she was giving consent because she didn't resist too much. It seems that Arai told the court that while he was "slightly concerned" that he might not have got her consent, his belief that he had "was stronger (than his concerns)." In other words, he did not have her consent.
Luddite
Better than most sentencing for this type of crime, but not long enough.
Please, Japan, sort out a sex offenders register.
girl_in_tokyo
Prosecution of sex crimes in Japan are rock bottom, and sentences are very light. If someone is arrested, charged, and actually sentenced, you can bet that they are guilty.
Also, in case you didn't know: sex workers can also be raped.
smithinjapan
Hang on a sec... when the Korean pop star got 6 years the other day for sexual assault not a few posters came on to talk about how big a problem this was in SK, then had a conniption first when it was pointed out Japan is no different and it’s not solely an SK problem. I notice they are absent from this thread.