TOKYO (TR) – The Tokyo District Court on Friday handed film director and company executive Hideo Sakaki an eight-year prison term for the sexual assault of two prospective actresses around one decade ago, reports Nippon News Network (Mar. 6).
In handing down the ruling, the court said of Sakaki, “These were heinous and despicable crimes that exploited the difference in standing [between himself and the victims] and grossly infringed on the victims’ sexual freedom.”
In 2015 and the year after, Sakaki, 55, sexually assaulted the two female actresses, both in their 20s under the guise of giving them acting instruction and taking advantage of his position as director.
Throughout his trial, Sakaki had maintained his innocence, claiming that he “naturally ended up embracing” with each victim.
He said, “I did not sexually assault the women in a situation where they could not resist. I did not use my influence as a film director.”
However, the court took into account the victims’ testimony in which they said they were “unable to resist” given their relationship him as a director.
The court also stated, “The defendant bears heavy responsibility for his crimes, as he committed them without regard for the victims’ dignity, including having sex without contraception to satisfy his own sexual desires.”
After the announcement, the defense appealed the ruling.
