A Tokyo court has sentenced former massage parlour owner Masayuki Hosono to five years in prison for making a 12-year-old Thai girl provide sexual services to customers.
Hosono, 52, was also fined 1 million yen by Tokyo District Court on Tuesday, September 15. The offences took place between June and August last year.
Court rejects claim he did not know her age
The court found Hosono guilty of violating laws including Japan's child welfare law. It said he conspired with the parlour's former manager, a 39-year-old Thai woman who has already been indicted on similar charges.
Judge Hiroshi Ikegami rejected the defence argument that Hosono should be acquitted because he did not know the girl was underage.
The girl's mother had told Hosono that the child was her 20-year-old sister, the judge said. But Hosono did not check any identification documents.
"It cannot be said that Hosono has done enough to check her age," Judge Ikegami said, adding that the defendant had created a chaotic working environment.
Girl was sent to Japan over mother's debt
The court heard that the girl had been instructed to work in Japan to repay her mother's debt. She arrived in the country after experiencing violence and was unable to refuse, the judge said.
"We can't imagine the psychological damage caused by not only being continuously asked to engage in sexual acts in a place where she has no relatives, but also being forced to serve the defendant himself under the guise of training," Judge Ikegami said.
Prosecutors had sought a six-year prison term and a 2 million yen fine for Hosono.
The case also resulted in human trafficking and other charges against the girl's mother in Thailand. She was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison.
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17 September 2026
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