Society

47-year-old man arrested for kidnapping high school girl

Feb 26 (Japan Today) - A 47-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of kidnapping a 17-year-old high school girl after he took her to his home in Tokyoâ€™s Setagaya Ward and kept her there for six days following an online correpondence, police said Sunday.

According to police, Masakatsu Yamaguchi, an employee of a game development company, has admitted to the charge and quoted him as saying, â€œI was hoping for a sexual relationship if all went well,â€ Fuji TV reported.

Police said Yamaguchi invited the girl, who lives in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, to his residence after reading a message she posted on a social networking site that said, â€œIâ€™m thinking about running away from home.â€

Yamaguchi suggested she come and stay with him. He drove to Utsunomiya early on the morning of Feb 18 and picked up the girl who stayed at his place until Feb 23.

Her parents reported her missing on Feb 18 after finding a message in her room, saying she was running away from home. Although the girl appears to have gone with Yamaguchi willingly, he has been charged with kidnapping, as she is a minor.

A police officer spotted her getting on a shinkansen train bound for Hakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, on Feb 23. She was taken into protective custody when the train arrived in Hiroshima. She was not harmed, police said.

Yamaguchi surfaced as a suspect after street surveillance camera footage showed the girl getting into his car in Utsunomiya. His name was also obtained from correspondence with the girl online.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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