Overview
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Juvenile Development Division arrested Koichiro Tanaka, 75, of Hachioji, on suspicion of non-consensual indecent acts.
- Investigators say the alleged incident occurred in early October on the Akigawa riverside in Akiruno after the suspect invited boys to a barbecue.
- Police believe the suspect touched the boy’s lower abdomen while wrapping a bandage like a fundoshi during river play, after first approaching boys in late September and exchanging contact information.
- Tanaka denies intentional touching, saying he did not act on purpose, while also stating he feels excited when seeing boys in late elementary to early middle school ages.
- Officers seized recordable media from his home for analysis, and the case came to light after the boy’s mother reported calls with the suspect in late October; a prior 2017 conviction related to offenses involving boys was reported by one outlet.