TOKYO — Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a 46-year-old executive of a real estate management company fover the alleged sexual assault of a woman attending a lengthy job interview at his office in the capital, reports Jiji Press (Apr. 9).
Masaki Hori, a resident of Higashi-Tabata in Kita Ward, is accused of non-consensual indecency. He has chosen to remain silent during questioning at the Takinogawa Police Station.
According to police, the incident occurred on the afternoon of March 23 inside the company’s office in Kita Ward. The victim, a woman in her 30s, had arrived for a job interview which Hori conducted one-on-one from morning until evening.
Midway through the lengthy interview, Hori reportedly told the woman, “I’m thirsty. Go buy some canned beer.”
After she returned, Hori allegedly turned off the lights in the room, locked the door from the inside and moved to the seat next to her. As he drank the alcohol, he forced kisses on the woman and inappropriately touched her body.
Police say Hori, who served as the hiring manager, pressured the victim by leveraging his authority. “There are other people to interview besides you,” he allegedly told her. “Ultimately, it’s my decision.”
Following the interview, Hori sent the woman an email demanding she keep the incident a secret. Instead, she immediately called police to report the assault.
Investigators believe this was not an isolated incident and are looking into the possibility that Hori has repeatedly used the same predatory tactics during the hiring process.
