crime

Elementary school principal arrested for filming up woman’s skirt

35 Comments

Police in Okayama City have arrested a 60-year-old elementary school principal on suspicion of violating the prefecture’s public nuisance ordinance by engaging in camera voyeurism. 

According to police reports, the incident occurred at around 7:05 a.m. on Tuesday at a convenience store in Higashi Ward. Local media reported that the suspect, Masato Hiraki, approached a female customer looking at merchandise and filmed up her skirt from behind, with his smartphone. 

Police said they had received a report in January from another convenience store about “a customer acting suspiciously” on the premises. An officer on patrol caught Hiraki red-handed while he was filming up the woman’s skirt.  

Okayama City’s Superintendent of Education, Kazuyoshi Sugano, released a public apology stating, “It is deplorable that a principal who is in an administrative position to manage teaching staff was arrested. In addition to confirming the details, we will strictly deal with this matter.”

Hiraki has been school principal since 2019.

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35 Comments
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Incidentally, you can’t turn off the shutter sound on Korean smartphones, either.

Anyone know a hack to turn it off?

Asking for a friend.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

garypen

Using your "logic", it would be okay if he touched her butt or exposed himself, simply because she's an adult and not one of his school kids.

No that is not "my logic" at all. I just see more nuance than you. And yes, it would bother me a LOT more if he touched the butt or exposed himself to the kids, rather than to an adult who has ways to retribute.

If it is all the same to you, I disagree with you "logic".

2 ( +3 / -1 )

virusrexFeb. 2  08:07 pm JST

I think I may becoming numb to the huge scandal of teachers being such a frequent source of sexual crimes, my first thought after reading the headline was "at least it was a grown woman and not a child...

The sad thing is that from the comments, it seems your "first thought" was also that of many here including mine.

What does that say about the school system here?

Both my ex wife my present wife and mid 20s daughter know friends that either has affairs with much older teachers or in some cases actually ended up married to them ( after they reached legal age) and it seemed the authorities didn't care because at the time they found out the girls were no longer students.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Zaphod

Give the guy a break. It was an adult woman, not one of his school kids. So just another run-of-the-mill otaku.

Using your "logic", it would be okay if he touched her butt or exposed himself, simply because she's an adult and not one of his school kids.

He sexually assaulted her, regardless of age. (Yes, it's a sexual assault, even if he didn't touch her, just as exposing himself would be sexual assault.) And, as an elementary school principal, it makes it worse because of his position as an authority figure and role model for children.

He deserves no break.

5 ( +8 / -3 )

Sex offenders register now, please.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

No, you cannot turn off the shutter sound, but if you use an app like "Snow" when you take a picture there is so shutter sound. So voila, no problem. I didn't know that until I was discussing the cheating on the Kyotsu test with my students and I asked how the girl was able to take pictures with no sound, and my students quickly informed me.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

Is there any other country where this sort of thing even occurs?

I guess you’ve never heard of South Korea’s hidden cam porn obsession. Incidentally, you can’t turn off the shutter sound on Korean smartphones, either.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@CaptDingleheimer

I noticed that too when I travelled to Japan and took photos with my Aust iPhone, (usually set on default to silent mode) people were surprised it didn’t make a sound when taking a pic on timer. I believe Japanese iPhones/Androids do not have the silent camera function, possibly for this very reason.

If convicted he should lose his job, if not step down.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

> snowymountainhellFeb. 2  05:46 pm JST

> No arrest reported for that occasion ?!?

He was arrested- it was how the article started. Just no charges have been filed at the time the news article was published.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

When I lived in Japan, nearly 20 years ago now, the flip phones they had were set up so that you absolutely could not shut off the shutter sound on the camera, even when the phone was in so-called manor mode'. Did they still have it set up like that with smart phones? it almost seemed like it was a law or something.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Give the guy a break. It was an adult woman, not one of his school kids. So just another run-of-the-mill otaku.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

As the government are determined to get more older people using smartphones as part of their digital push, perhaps someone could produce a range of pixelated underwear.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"filmed up her skirt from behind, with his smartphone."

“It is deplorable that a principal who is in an administrative position to manage teaching staff was arrested'

Reads like another dusty, thirsty, pathetic, waste of human space, elderly voyeuristic opportunist, public nuisance nutter, that needs to be off the streets.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Elementary school principal-job title does not mean anything here.

Actually, from my experience here, it’s just a “pass the gavel “ amongst the older teachers. No real impressive titles with this.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

He should be fired and his pension forfeited. However, it’s likely he will make a public apology and receive a three month 10% pay cut.

Unfortunately, you’re probably right, along with “hush” money, and life goes on. If that scum did that to my kids, I would expose (no pun intended) that dirty loser to the media, both here and outside Japan.

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

So this is why he became a principal…

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Bart Fargo

Looking for a positive here...at least it was a woman and not a child??

Firstly, there is no positive here. "At least it wasn't murder" or "At least it wasn't rape" wouldn't make it any better, either.

Secondly, why would you even look for a positive in this? It's an elementary school principal caught taking upskirt pics/videos. It's a bad thing. Bad. Nothing good.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

We all know where he intended to upload the video footage to.

0 ( +5 / -5 )

I think I may becoming numb to the huge scandal of teachers being such a frequent source of sexual crimes, my first thought after reading the headline was "at least it was a grown woman and not a child...."

0 ( +5 / -5 )

He'll probably get demoted to the rank of teacher and put in charge of girls' swimming.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

So we pressume he’s guilty already. Good job guys:

-16 ( +3 / -19 )

He should be fired and his pension forfeited. However, it’s likely he will make a public apology and receive a three month 10% pay cut.

3 ( +8 / -5 )

"Elementary school principal-job title does not mean anything here.

"had received a report in January from another convenience store about “a customer acting suspiciously” on such premises. There you go, the miscreant can linger, lurk, slither, stalk, roam and loiter.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

You know what is the most crazy action, Masato Hiraki was a respected elementary school principal 

However Hiraki betrayed his family, his career, his responsivity to his community.

Taking up-skirts photo's. Masato Hiraki will have to ultimately answer for his weird peccadillos .

1 ( +5 / -4 )

2500 +1 teacher shortage now.

6 ( +11 / -5 )

Strike Two!” for Hiraki. Of course, he’ll use the fallback excuse: “The stress from overwork caused me to act out.”

- “The [2021] shortage also resulted in principals, vice principals and other personnel doubling as homeroom teachers at some elementary schools.” -

“Police said they had received a report in Jan from another convenience store about “a customer acting suspiciously” on the premises and caught Hiraki red-handed while he was filming up the woman’s skirt.” -

No arrest reported for that occasion ?!?

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Jail and “Good Riddance!”. However, this will add to 2022’s teacher shortage numbers. Going for 2501 perhaps? :

Feb 1, 2022: “https://japantoday.com/category/national/public-schools-in-japan-short-of-over-2-500-teachers-last-year” -
2 ( +10 / -8 )

60 and still going this bad!??, who knows what else he did in his younger days LOL!!

9 ( +17 / -8 )

Another sex offender in the school system.

13 ( +19 / -6 )

Masato Hiraki family are also victims, neighbors are probably whispering nodding, up-skirt Hiraki incoming.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

Looking for a positive here...at least it was a woman and not a child??

6 ( +18 / -12 )

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