IBARAKI (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a town council member in Ibaraki Prefecture over the alleged rape of a high school girl last year, reports Jiji Press (Sep. 17).
Between 3:55 pm and 5:55 pm on August 14 last year, Kosuke Sanuga, a 32-year-old council member for the town of Sakaimachi, is alleged to have sexually assaulted the girl under the age of 16 at a karaoke bar in Nerima Ward.
At the time, the girl was under the age of 16, which is the age of consent in Japan.
Upon his arrest on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse, Sanuga declined to comment, the Shakujii Police Station said.
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The council member reportedly exchanged messages with the high school girl for several months before the incident on social media. The day of the incident was not their first meeting, police said.
After the incident, the suspect asked girl to clear the data on her smartphone, which she did. The victim later spoke to her guardian, who visited authorities with her on August 30, 2023. Police are continuing the investigation.
According to the town council secretariat, Sanukaga was elected to the town council as an independent candidate in April 2021. Just before his arrest, he attended a fireworks festival held in the town.
