KAGOSHIMA (TR) – A middle school teacher has admitted to taking illicit photographs of female pupils during class, the local board of education said, reports Fuji News Network (Feb. 23).
According to the board, the teacher, aged in his 40s, was using a smartphone to take tosatsu, or voyeur, footage up the skirt of at least one girl inside a class room.
On February 5, several girls reported the teacher to a second teacher. The teacher admitted to the allegations during an interview with staff from the school and the board of education three days later.
However, the teacher has been absent from work since the interview due to an unspecified illness.
It is not known when and how many times the teacher carried out the crime, but it is believed that there are multiple victims. An investigation by the police is underway.
On February 19, the school disclosed the matter to the parents of third-year students. On Friday, a similar meeting with be held for the parents of first- and second-year students.
The board of education said that it could not comment on the case. “If disciplinary action is [necessary], we will announce it according to standard protocol,” a representative of the board told the Minami-Nippon Shimbun.
“I have the impression that he is a popular teacher with the students,” a person from the school said, “and it is a shame considering the impact on students who are preparing for high school entrance exams.”
The school is now considering a review of the restrictions placed on the operation of smartphones and tablet computers.
