TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police have arrested a Tokushima Prefectural Assembly member arrested for secretly filming a nude sex worker at a hotel in Minato Ward, reports Nippon News Network (Nov. 30).
At around 8:40 pm on November 28, Hiroshi Furukawa, 64, is suspected of taking tosatsu footage of the woman, aged in her 20s, at the business hotel in Akasaka that he was staying at.
The woman works for an out-call “delivery health” service. Police believe that Furukawa, who was a customer of the woman, placed his smartphone in a location where it could not be seen by her to take the footage secretly.
On Sunday, police sent Furukawa to prosecutors for violating the Law Banning the Taking of Sexually Explicit Photographs. He admits to the allegations, police said.
Furukawa was staying at the hotel in order to attend a meeting in Tokyo on November 29.
The incident came to light after the woman saw Furukawa’s smartphone and contacted an employee at her workplace.
Furukawa is a native of Anan City, Tokushima Prefecture. After working as a prefectural employee, he was first elected to the Tokushima Prefectural Assembly in 2015. He is currently serving his third term.
According to the prefectural assembly website, he serves as chairman of the Komeito Tokushima Prefectural Assembly group.
Following the arrest, Komeito Secretary-General Minoru Nishida stated on the party’s official social media account that “disciplinary action will be considered.”
In response to the incident, Komeito Headquarters Secretary-General Sanshiro Nishida issued a statement on November 29. Nishida commented, “After meeting with his lawyer to confirm the facts, it became clear that completely unacceptable behavior had taken place.”
He continued, “This is an extremely unethical and serious criminal allegation that violates human rights. We will immediately convene a Central Executive Committee meeting and instruct the Central Disciplinary Committee to consider disciplinary action, and will deal with the matter strictly.” He concluded by offering his “deepest, most sincere apologies” to the victim.
