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Tokyo hooker ring pimped teen runaway to 48 men

Yosuke Watabe
Yosuke Watabe

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Wednesday announced the bust of a service that used dating sites to recruit male customers for underage prostitutes, reports TBS News (Oct. 7).

On February 11, Yosuke Watanabe, 33, and scout Ken Ozawa, 20, are alleged to have arranged for a 16-year-old girl for an illicit rendezvous with a 42-year-old male customer in Toshima Ward. Over an 18-day period, the girl served 48 customers, according to the Sankei Shimbun (Oct. 7).

Both suspects, who have  been charged with brokering prostitution and violating the Child Welfare Act, have admitted to the allegations. “I thought I could earn income by prostituting girls,” Watanabe is quoted by police.

Referred to as an enjo kosai (or compensated dating) service, the operation targeted runaway girls. In the case of the 16-year-old, she lived at Ozawa’s residence.

Male customers were found by posing as girls on deai-kei matchmaking sites. Since December of last year, the pair collected 10 million in revenue every two months.

Police became aware of the ring after questioning another girl employed with the service after she had departed from a hotel.