GUNMA (TR) – Gunma Prefectural Police have arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly abducting a teenage girl whom he met online, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 29).
At around 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, Masato Yamazaki, an employee at a foodstuff company living in Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, allegedly picked up the girl, a 17-year-old high school student, near a park in the town of Oizumi, Gunma with his vehicle. He drove her to his residence.
According to police, the girl was held at the residence until 5:45 p.m. on Monday. She was not injured in the incident.
Yamazaki admits to the allegations, police said.
The matter came to light after the girl’s father consulted with police. He said that his daughter had become acquainted with Yamazaki via game played on a smartphone.
According to police, the girl and the suspect began exchanging messages in October. Their meeting on Sunday was their first.
Kanagawa case
Last month, Tokyo Metropolitan Police found nine corpses in the residence of a man in Zama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Police later revealed that one of the victims was Kureha Ishihara, a 15-year-old resident of Gunma.
Police have since arrested Takahiro Shiraishi, 27, on suspicion of abandoning a corpse and murder. He told police that he lured the victims by using social networking service (SNS) Twitter.
In light of the case involving the 17-year-old girl, a representative of the Gunma Prefectural Board of Education said, “I would like to tell students that they can stop and consult with us before utilizing [via SNS].”
