Japanese police bust voyeurism ring, arrest 16 men for filming women bathing in hot springs for over 30 years
The gang mainly targeted women in open-air baths
Sixteen men were arrested in Japan for allegedly filming thousands of women bathing in hot springs across the country for over 30 years, even as police uncovered a massive voyeurism ring.
The arrest was made on February 1 in Shizuoka prefecture, a year after the arrest of the alleged ringleader, 50-year-old Karin Saito, reportedThe Asahi Shimbunnewspaper.
Saito wascaught inDecember 2021in Hyogo prefecture. He was charged with violating a nuisance prevention ordinance, a local law against illicit photography.
He had admitted of secretly filming more than 10,000 women for over 30 years in 46 different prefectures, and revealed about dozen others in his group.
Among those arrested include senior company executives, local government officials, and a doctor from Tokyo.
The gang mainly targeted women in open-air baths. They would hide in the mountains and secretly film and photograph the bathing women with a camera through a telephoto lens—a high-end camera gear.
According to reports, the men would get tips from Saito on how best to photograph the women, and hold gatherings to view the footage together.
Moreover, these men also filmed their female acquaintances after drugging them with sleeping pills and held parties where they committed perverted acts.
Speaking to South China Morning Post, Yutaka Seki, an executive director at the Japan Hot Springs Association, admitted that it was difficult to fully prevent illicit and unauthorised photography even with the advancement of technology.
“This is shocking and I have to say that voyeurism for the purpose of obtaining naked images of someone of the opposite sex simply has to be severely punished. Illicit and unauthorised photography and filming is, of course, prohibited in all onsen and similar establishments. But new technology, such as miniaturization of cameras, makes it quite difficult to eradicate entirely,” he was quoted as saying.
(With inputs from agencies)
WATCH WION LIVE HERE