TOKYO – A special crackdown on sex-related crimes involving minors and the Internet resulted in an increase in apprehensions last year, the National Police Agency said on Thursday, reports the Mainichi Shimbun (March 12).
Police in Japan last year took juveniles into custody in 439 cases for using online bulletin boards and social media sites to engage in the practice of enjo kosai (compensated dating) or for the sale of used underwear. The number of cases represents an increase of 281 from 2013. A total of 422 girls were involved in the crimes.
Officers in 31 of Japan’s 47 prefectural districts working undercover made contact with the juveniles on the Internet. Of the cases, 284 were for enjo kosai, 150 for the sale of underwear and five for both. The majority of the cases (321) involved the use of Internet bulletin boards.
The undercover work is part of a special cyber patrol first established by Shizuoka Prefectural Police in 2009. All prefectures adopted the patrols in April of 2013 on a trial basis. The initiative was put into full operation in October of that year.
