KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police have arrested a 38-year-old man from Hiratsuka City for allegedly abducting a middle school student in Aomori Prefecture and confining her at his residence for two months, reports Jiji Press (Dec. 8).
On October 9, Kazuya Okada allegedly brought the girl on the back of his motorcycle from a railway station in Aomori to his residence in Hiratsuka, a distance of more than 700 kilometers. He then kept the girl there until the pair were both discovered on Thursday.
The girl was not hurt in the incident, police said.
Okada, who has been accused of abduction, admits to the allegations. “I knew that it was a bad thing, but I also feel that I helped a girl [who wanted to run away],” the suspect was quoted by police.
According to police, the suspect met the girl via a social-networking service. On October 9, she wrote to the suspect, “I want to run away.” He then wrote back, “I’ll take care of you.”
The following day, the family of the girl filed a missing persons report with police after she could not be located.
“I’m fine”
At one point, a message purportedly written by the girl was sent to her parents that read, “I’m fine because I am living healthily on my own,” according to the Mainichi Shimbun (Dec. 8).
Persons connected to the school eventually received information that the girl was staying at the apartment of Okada. On Thursday night, the girl was taken into protective custody after she was seen in the company of the suspect near the residence.
