Pet Shop Owner Appeals 30-Year Sentence for Sexual Assaults

Oct 17, 2025 | News On Japan

FUKUOKA - A former pet shop owner convicted of repeatedly sexually assaulting several female employees and sentenced to 30 years in prison appealed his case at the Fukuoka High Court on October 14th, again claiming that the acts were consensual.

According to prosecutors, Michio Honda, a 67-year-old former pet shop owner in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture, is accused of threatening and repeatedly sexually assaulting four female employees over a period of about four years beginning in 2017. The assaults allegedly took place at the shop he operated.

In February this year, the Fukuoka District Court handed Honda the maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, describing his actions as "exceptionally malicious and unprecedented in their severity."

During questioning at the appellate hearing on October 14th, Honda insisted that the lower court's ruling was incorrect and reiterated his claim that the sexual acts were consensual. The prosecution has requested that the original sentence be upheld.

A ruling on the appeal is scheduled to be delivered on December 18th.

Source: FBS福岡放送ニュース

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