Man arrested for stealing recorders from Nagoya middle school also accused of stalking

Jul 01, 2021 | News On Japan

Jul 01, 2021 (tokyoreporter.com) - AICHI (TR) – A 39-year-old man who is suspected of stealing recorders from female students in Nagoya has been further accused of stalking, police have revealed, reports Fuji News Network.

In the latest allegations, police allege that Fumihiro Otake, a 39-year-old company employee, stalked a 19-year-old female university student on her blog in October 2019.

“Did you clean your room? Did you find something nostalgic, like a whistle? There should be two, but there’s not, is that right?” he reportedly wrote.

Upon his arrest on suspicion of violating the Stalker Control Law on June 29, Otake denied the allegations. “I made the comments,” the suspect told police. “But it was not done out of feelings of love, resentment or hatred.”

The university student and Otake both live in Nishi Ward. Earlier this month, police first arrested Otake for allegedly stealing one recorder belonging to a girl, then 16, from the middle school in December 2018.

About two dozen girls at the school reported thefts of recorders.

During a search of the residence of Otake, police seized 16 recorders, including one belonging to the university student.

Other stolen recorders were found for sale on an internet shopping site.

After the thefts began, one victim posted on her blog about it. A person then made a comment on the theft.

At the time of his first arrest, police believed that the person making the comment was Otake.

Source: ANNnewsCH

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