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Yamagata city council member nabbed in encounter with underage girl

Gen Hasegawa
Gen Hasegawa

YAMAGATA (TR) – Yamagata Prefectural Police have arrested an assemblyman for the Murayama City for an illicit encounter with an underage girl, reports Nippon News Network (Dec. 7).

At the end of September, Gen Hasegawa, 43, allegedly engaged in sex acts with the girl, 16, at a hotel in Murayama while knowing that she was a minor.

Hasegawa, who has been charged with violating the child prostitution and pornography control law, denies the charges.

For nearly a seven-year period beginning in November of 2007, Hasegawa worked for Murayama City. In April of last year, he ran for a prefectural assembly post but lost. He rejoined Murayama City the following November.

Hasegawa, who is also a priest at a temple, met the girl on a social-networking service.

“After just now confirming the facts of the case, we are preparing a means to deal with the matter,” a representative of Murayama City is quoted.