A high court on Monday sentenced a 26-year-old Japanese woman to eight years and six months in prison for defrauding three men out of a total of 155 million yen on a dating app, a six-month reduction from the previous ruling.
The Nagoya High Court handed down the reduced sentence to Mai Watanabe, known by the moniker "Itadaki Joshi Riri-chan," literally "Sugar Baby Riri," as damages had been paid on her behalf to one of the victims. The court upheld a fine of 8 million yen.
The compensation of 18 million yen was paid after a lower court ruling in April by a former host club staff member who had received money from Watanabe. The staff member is also currently on trial after being arrested last year for receiving the money Watanabe defrauded from the victims.
"The damage you inflicted on the victims is not limited to money," Presiding Judge Mihoko Tanabe told Watanabe after handing down the ruling. "I would like you to think again about how to compensate the victims in the future."
According to the high court ruling, Watanabe cheated three men out of a total of 155 million yen between 2021 and 2023. Watanabe was also convicted of evading income tax and selling a manual she penned to a woman on how to scam men out of money.
The ruling came after Watanabe's defense counsel appealed the Nagoya District Court ruling, saying the sentence was too severe.
© KYODO
11 Comments
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Michael Machida
The picture of the Sugar Baby should have been included in the story.
Offwithyourarrogance
get 155 millions, pay back 18. Get reduced 8 yr sentenced, wow 'being a sugar baby' really works. I want to be a Sugar Daddy when i grow up.
kohakuebisu
It's literally "Woman on the take, Riri".
Chico3
It happens when you've been lickin' the Sugar Daddy for too long.
V Campbell
She needs to pay back ¥155 million FOR STARTERS, then the income tax plus penalty, then extra money on top of that.
virusrex
Confusingly now "literally" is used with the meaning of "not literally but figuratively".
travelbangaijin
"The damage you inflicted on the victims is not limited to money," Presiding Judge Mihoko Tanabe told Watanabe after handing down the ruling. "I would like you to think again about how to compensate the victims in the future."
I'll let your imagination figure out what he suggesting Riri to consider
TokyoLiving
Grow up..
finally rich
Oh gosh, please no! Those eyes completely void of any human emotion still give me the creeps
Dave Fair
Wow, I guess when you have money, or in her case a Sugar Daddy who paid on her behalf, you can buy your way out of prison time! Seems like she should have paid the victims full restitution as part of her sentence and not simply a fine of 8 million.
garypen
That's a longer sentence than Japan courts have given for murder, in some cases.