Police in Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture, have arrested a 25-year-old man on charges of violating the Anti-Stalking Control Law. He is said to have taken numerous pictures of a female coworker without her knowing using his smartphone camera.
The incident was uncovered in October of last year when a man doing some weeding in an area of thick grass stumbled across a plastic box containing several items including a USB memory stick. On the stick were over 100 images of a 24-year-old woman that appeared to have been taken without her knowing.
Police managed to trace the images back to the suspect who had secretly taken the photos of a coworker with whom he was infatuated while she was in and around their workplace. The man reportedly admitted to the charges saying, “I took the pictures because I liked her but I couldn’t bring myself to speak to her.”
Reaction to the news online sided largely with the suspect. Many felt that he was simply a shy person suffering from a case of unrequited love rather than a threat to anyone’s safety.
“You can get arrested for only that? Shocked.”
“I sympathize with him.”
“While it certainly is unpleasant to photograph someone without them knowing, does it really fall under the anti-stalking law?”
“This makes me furious. They regulate smartphone cameras like they were guns.”
“I know how he feels… that’s a terrible story.”
“The man who picked up the memory stick seems more suspicious. Why did he snoop around like that?”
“We live in an age where being shy is an arrestable offense.”
“That’s scary. So anytime I take pictures in public places where there are other people I can be arrested for it?”
“His motive seemed more cute than malicious.”
The investigation is still ongoing and police are looking into whether or not similar incidents involving other women exist. They also have yet to interview the woman whom he had photographed.
Sources: Tokai TV, Hachima Kiko
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- External Link
- https://en.rocketnews24.com/2018/02/16/mie-man-arrested-for-collecting-photos-he-took-of-female-coworker-while-at-work/
26 Comments
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bones
The comments by some of the people in the story gives me the impression that Japan has a large “Creep” subculture.
Is it that difficult to TALK to a female?
Apparently in Japan, that’s the case.
I need to start a business for lonely, creepy or shy guys,and teach them how to approach any woman with confidence and not cameras.
Haaa Nemui
Not a photography studio either.
ozziedesigner
@Burning Bush = Add Google, Apple & Government to that list of stalkers
quercetum
Yes, because there are laws against taking pictures of people without their permission let alone 100 pictures.
This should be “to be photographed” as it most certainly was “pleasant” for the 25 year old boy. I’m sure it would be unpleasant for anyone to know someone is secretly taking photos of you and his actions while waiting for the photo moment is stalking in nature.
No we live in an age where there is more respect for others. Being shy isn’t the offense. Your logic is offensive though.
It’s scary that you don’t see the difference between 100 pictures of an object of an infatuation versus a picture in public.
These comments reveal the inability to see things from a different perspective other than one’s own. Creeps on the train Creeps at work. Creeps everywhere.
Given a choice of having 100 photos of yourself secretly taken at work or 100 panties stealthily stolen from the balcony, the former would be far creepier.
DaDude
I wish the police would take ALL complaints more seriously. Maybe being in a less-populated city means cops have more time to focus on cases.
Kobe White Bar Owner
man children as ever, side affect of being crammed into the sheeplike sallary man pigeon hole. pathetic.
Brian Wheway
TOP TIP, don't take secret pictures, 99% of people find it creepy, annoying, sly, intrusive, dishonest, weird, etc, this is not the best way forward if you fancy someone or you wish to chat them up, or ask them out for a coffee its much nicer and you probably be rewarded with a yes, or a maybe, but taking pictures secretly, this will get you a very strong response and its going to be definitely a NO!
SayWat
5 photos would be... so-so. But now over 100. More like obsessions.
erbaviva
here is the scenario. Another person knows the camera issue and he downloaded the photos to a usb key from the man's pc and then placed it in a box. A maintenance crew will not open a usb key, he will simply give it to lost and found so it was a pretext. He found the key and when he gave the thumb key, they opened it and then made the arrest. It was a set up from the beginning. The girl knew he is taking her photos so she asked somebody from the company but making direct confrontation is not a big thing in Japan.
Haaa Nemui
It's fine to question... but I'm wondering... If anything had happened to her as a result of his stalking (because that's what it actually is) would you be one here claiming the police in Japan so nothing even though they have credible evidence there is a threat. Basically... They're damned if they do and they're damned if they don't.
Haaa Nemui
DO nothing... Stupid auto correct.
nandakandamanda
Haruka, quote: "He must have had a great camera zoom, because those phone cameras sure are loud".
Some mobile phone cameras do not make a shutter sound. I have a friend who specifically searched for a silent one. Unfortunately with my iPhone I cannot turn the noise off; a priest in a temple chewed me out for disturbing the ceremony.
Myhumbletake
In what Wakanda world! You can only imagine what he did with those photographies. When will men ever understand women are neither objects nor pets? **Sigh!
Jonorth
The worst part of this story is the defending comments. These people are totally missing the point - no one blames to man for being shy or just taking pictures, but taking over 100 pictures of one person is creepy and it is stalking. I'm appalled bu the fact that this is so acceptable, why is no one seemingly considering the person he took pictures of? This is not comparable to just taking a picture where random people are featured.
sir_bentley28
When you lack confidence and your pimp game is WAF, this is what happens. I don't understand why are people defending him? Yeah, he's shy, but what he did was against the law.
Seawolf
My first response was to feel sorry for the guy, but Haruka's comment let me realize something: why were the pics on a memory stick if he used his smartphone camera to take them? And thats probably the reason the police took action, because it was more than just secretly taking some shots of a lovely face, he was actively collecting the pics, managing them.
garypen
The defense of this creepy stalker is pretty strange.
Disillusioned
Another wimpy creep! This creepy subculture in Japan is a mental illness.
macv
perv
Haruka
He must have had a great camera zoom, because those phone cameras sure are loud.
I do not believe the leaf raker, not being an intelligent kind of job one strives for. How did he really come upon this memory stick? Is that all the memory stick had on it? Sure sounds fishy to me.
What were the other items so called found in the box while weeding? Panties, HS mementos? Watch, cash, other jewelry?