TOKYO (TR) – A 33-year-old man who trespassed into the apartment of a woman he met through an online game more than 100 times has been handed a suspended prison sentence by the Tokyo District Court.
Jun Okada was convicted of unlawful entry, theft, and the sexual exploitation and filming of the victim. On September 24, a judge handed him a sentence of two years and six months in prison, suspended for four years.
During his trial on September 11, the court heard the details of Okada’s twisted affection, reports the site for weekly tabloid Friday (Sep. 25).
Met online
The pair first met via an online game in December 2022. By July 2023, the relationship had progressed enough for Okada to stay over at the victim’s apartment. However, when he asked her to be his girlfriend the next morning, she rejected him, citing his financial instability.
Refusing to accept the rejection, Okada began showing up unannounced, prompting the woman to block all contact with him.
In October 2023, Okada bypassed security by slipping through an unlocked balcony window of her first-floor apartment. While inside, he found a memo containing a key code, allowing him to forge a spare key. This marked the beginning of a bizarre and highly invasive routine.
More than 100 times
According to prosecutors, Okada broke into the woman’s home more than 100 times. During these intrusions, he stole her underwear and three expired driver’s licenses, explaining to the court that he wanted to see how her face had changed over time. He also photographed her valid ID, stating he didn’t steal it because “she would be in trouble if it was gone.”
His behavior quickly escalated. Okada would spend up to two hours in the apartment while the victim was out, eating her food, relaxing, and sometimes masturbating in her room.
In March of this year, his obsession took a darker turn when he installed a hidden camera disguised as a USB charger in her living room to secretly record her in her underwear and naked, regularly swapping out the SD cards.
“To be of use to her”
When prosecutors accused Okada of replacing the underwear he stole with brand-new pairs to delay the discovery of his crimes, he offered a bizarre defense.
“I had a desire to be of use to her,” Okada told the court, noting that he also used his break-ins to clean her apartment and restock her refrigerator with energy drinks.
His daily intrusions finally came to an end on March 19. Okada was relaxing inside the apartment and had locked the deadbolt from the inside. When the victim returned home at 5:00 p.m. and couldn’t open her door, Okada panicked and attempted to flee via the balcony, only to cross paths with her. He was arrested by arriving police officers shortly after.
“It was creepy”
Appearing in court for a hearing with a shaved head and wearing a mask, Okada admitted to the charges, weeping occasionally as his father testified.
His father told the court he had paid 2.5 million yen in settlement money to the victim, expressing concern for his son’s future. “I want him to become financially independent. I don’t want him falling into poverty and committing another crime,” the father said.
A statement from the victim read aloud in court highlighted the deep psychological toll of the stalking.
“It was creepy and gave me goosebumps. It is terrifying that he tried to grasp everything about my life,” the statement read. “I demand severe punishment for the culprit.”
Before the trial concluded, the judge asked Okada if he had any final words.
“I know I am forbidden from contacting her, but if there is any way to convey it, I want to apologize,” Okada said. “I am truly sorry.”
