Police in Osaka have arrested the 52-year-old section manager of Osaka’s Cultural Affairs Department on suspicion of engaging in child prostitution.
According to police, Takahito Hashimoto, who was arrested on Tuesday, was arrested for paying 20,000 yen to a 15-year-old female junior high school student in exchange for sex and posing for photos at a hotel in Osaka City in January, Sankei Shimbun reported. Police said Hashimoto has denied the charge and quoted him as saying, “Although I did meet up with a girl at a hotel, we did not engage in any sexual activity.”
Following Hashimoto’s arrest, Osaka Gov Hirofumi Yoshimura released a statement saying: “If this is true, it is unforgivable behavior. I would like to send my sincerest apologies to everyone in the prefecture.”
The governor added: “We will strictly deal with the situation once the facts are determined at an appropriate time.”
© Japan Today
10 Comments
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kurisupisu
What a terrible mistake!
Had she been 16 then the paper pusher would have beyond reproach..,
TARA TAN KITAOKA
Jesus, what is going on in the world ???.
nandakandamanda
I believe him, sorta. I think he may have been unable/unwilling to perform but wanted the photos. Did she take the money and dob him in? If so, why? So much is left to the imagination that it is hard to judge with any conviction. Sounds like this guy got caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and whatever he says will not carry much weight.
sir_bentley28
So what, was he paying her to listen to him talk about Osaka's Cultural Affairs?
Get outta here with that weak excuse, perv!
Goodlucktoyou
Numerous soapland everywhere. Why be a pedo? 11 years.
Ascissor
“Although I did meet up with a girl at a hotel, we did not engage in any sexual activity" said the section manager of the Comedy Department.
The Master
“Although I did meet up with a girl at a hotel, we did not engage in any sexual activity.” Why even bother with the lame excuse or is this a miss translation from Japanese? Anyway he can enjoy explaining that to his wife and hopefully his new boyfriend in prison.
Michael Machida
Cultural Affairs. If it were any other department, this news would be pretty normal in Japan. But the Cultural Affairs Department. Sends volumes of thoughts around the world.