crime

Teacher arrested for taking photos of naked boys

25 Comments

A male elementary school teacher has been arrested in Tokyo after he allegedly took photos of naked school boys. Police believe the man has been taking such photos for the past seven years, Fuji TV reported.

Masamichi Kumazawa, a 38-year-old teacher at an elementary school in Mitaka, Tokyo, was arrested on suspicion of making male students undress and then taking photos of them at his house in Suginami Ward last May.

According to police, Kumazawa formed a club which was only open to male students, "Kodomokai" (Children's Club), 12 years ago, and he was teaching handicrafts and playing in the park with young boys.

Police found photos of naked boys, which were taken 7 years ago, and believe that there have been more than 10 victims.

Kumazawa was quoted by police as saying that "I got a thrill out of looking at the naked bodies of elementary school boys. I took the photos just for myself to look at."

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

25 Comments
Login to comment

what should the punishment be for this guy? chemical castration or the death penalty? it's hard to believe that jail would be any deterrent for him. once released, he's going to do this again and again.

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

Well lets hope he gets sent to prison for a long time where the only naked males he'll see are the tattooed inmates he'll have to shower with. Lets see him try and take nude pics of THEM

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Let's try "A Male..." rather than "An Male..." Man, that makes it so hard to start reading something when it is messed up from the first word...

Aly, tatoos are not allowed in Onsens and jails in Japan.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

Ok, is anyone going to defend this creep? I truly hope not!!!!

I am pretty sure he has lost his job, and really a waste, and he will never teach again. But after this problem that is a good thing!

He disgust me!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

"the man has been... making male students undress and... taking photos of them"

Well done to the boy(s) for reporting it!!!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Sweet lord. Another teacher who got through on rote memory testing only to be another crime statistic. Obviously the screening for who becomes teachers needs to improve.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Cops believe that there have been more than 10 victims?

Over at least 7 years? Er, a lot more, we can imagine, especially if his 'kodomokai' has been running for 12 years. Why did his system take so long to crack open? Too many unanswered questions here.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

With two boys in elementary school this rings alarm bells for me! I need to talk to the kids. As for Masamichi Kumazawa, just lock this pathetic excuse for a man up for a good while.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Let's hope photography is all this sick man did. A very long period behind bars is what he needs.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Here are some photos of Kumazawa (熊澤正通): http://goo.gl/VxQKuW

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In other countries the fact that he was a school teacher wound go against him making his punishment even more severe, but in Japan he will receive leniency because of the stresses of being a teacher. Furthermore, if this loon was to be put in a foreign prison he would be used as a punching bag. Kiddy fiddlers are the worst kind of scum on the earth.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

WTF were you thinking? Oh wait, you weren't.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

38 years old. Looks like a freak even if you didn't know what he was doing. Runs a club only open to boys for years in a park. For 12 years.

And no one thought anything of it. Not one red flag.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Clamenza,

If it was boy scouts you might not think much of it.

He has been publicly shamed and will never be allowed to work with children again. If it isn't discovered that he has done worse, I doubt that will serve any time at all. Likely years of probation, therapy and community service.

Scary stuff! A decade behind bars would probably help parents that live in the same community feel safer.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@Shonanbb

Aly, tatoos are not allowed in Onsens and jails in Japan.

Alright, so where do tattooed criminals go?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Is it really a crime? He had a reprehensible behavior, but since my point of view it is not something really serious; it is not like if the boys would end up harmed.

OMFG!!!! Try forcing a 10 year old to strip and take naked photos of him. See how he feels afterwards. does he have nightmares? Is he traumatized by the experience? how does he feel knowing there are naked pictures of himself out there in the hands of man he thought he could trust? Does he feel guilt? Confusion because maybe part of him thought it was exciting? Does it lead to him feeling depressed? Angry? Lashing out at people? Maybe starting to abuse substances to cope with the feelings?

And you don't event think this is a crime??! I hope to God you don't work with children.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

@Nathalie, I think that many overlooked bulling experiences or even difficulties to socialize and be accepted by others are much more traumatizing that something like this. I know it for own experience and for other people's experiences. But I guess that the degree someone get affected for certain kind of circumstances could be very cultural dependent.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Two things. 1) boy scouts 2 deep leadership would work wonders. Never be alone with child unless there are 2 adults present, for protection of both child and adult. 2) couldn't the dude just go to an onsen for that?

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Try forcing a 10 year old to strip and take naked photos of him. See how he feels afterwards. does he have nightmares? Is he traumatized by the experience?

Probably not. There were no electronic cameras at the time, but me and my classmates were "forced" to strip off after swimming and parade around the pool, presumably for the satisfaction of the teacher. We all knew about it. We laughed.

Let's face it, sexual perversion is a fact of life. Japan seems to accept that more than other countries, and in my opinion deals with it better. In the west we have difficulty distinguishing between creeps who gets off looking at naked children and those who who violently abuse them. If we only had to live with the former, as Jumin above says, they can go to an onsen any time. (Perhaps we should blame the decline of the sento.)

The guy's a creep. Let him live with that.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Try forcing a 10 year old to strip and take naked photos of him.

Just open your wallet or flash the credit card in their fav store... or tell them you are a David Hamilton. Well, that wouldn't make his crimes smaller.

Runs a club only open to boys for years in a park. For 12 years. And no one thought anything of it.

Base-ball, soccer... there are so many clubs for boys in parks. And he certainly did not take the pics during these activities. He was getting friend with the boys and he could convince some to go some private places, to undress... and who knows what else ?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@Disillusioned - "Kiddy fiddlers are the worst kind of scum on the earth"

Japan is to CHILD ABUSE what South Africa was to RACISM. Not only is it INSTITUTIONALIZED but it is the only reason that the county exists. A PAEDOOHILE PARADISE hated and despised by every single person on earth!!!

And if the truth hurts, you had better get used to it... ;-)

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Well done to the boy(s) for reporting it!!!

Truly the tip of the iceberg of what some here are imagining happened. The article does not say they, or even one, reported anything. It does not say any were distraught, or angry. If we were placing bets, I would bet just one of them told his parents what was going on, and in a matter of fact kind of way, or maybe even just thought it was strange or asked his parents why the teacher was doing that. From there the parents started talking to other parents, who talked to their sons, and then they got together with the principal, and they all decided to go to police. You have to consider that this went on for 7 years with potentially more than 10 boys photographed nude. If what he was doing was so very forceful and traumatizing, surely he would have been found out much sooner.

Kiddy fiddlers are the worst kind of scum on the earth.

Except it does not say he fiddled any kids. If I were to harp on who is the scum of the Earth, it would be those that rape and kill children, or anybody really.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@the refugee - " If what he was doing was so very forceful and traumatizing, surely he would have been found out much sooner"

It takes TREMENDOUS COURAGE for a child to report something like this... More courage than you obviously have!!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

The headmaster of my prep school was like this, (without going into too much detail here) and as albaleo says above, we were aware of his weirdness, and we laughed about it among ourselves. I do not think it has affected me in any way today.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@nandakandamanda - "I do not think it has affected me in any way today"

Well it has affected you! By making you think that it is normal, that it is ok, and that it happens to everybody. And that's how the cycle of abuse continues. To the point where Japanese children DARE NOT TELL their parents because the parents will say that they are making a fuss over nothing.

So, as I said...

Well done to the boy(s) for reporting it!!!

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites