SAITAMA (TR) – Saitama Prefectural Police arrested a 26-year-old elementary school teacher on Wednesday on suspicion of secretly filming a young boy as he changed clothes in his classroom, reports the Sankei Shimbun (Nov. 11).
Shunga Shibata, a resident of Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, stands accused of violating the Law Banning the Taking of Sexually Explicit Photographs and the Child Prostitution and Pornography Prohibition Act.
According to police, the incident occurred on July 19, 2024, at an elementary school in Adachi Ward, where Shibata is employed. The suspect allegedly used a watch-style camera to film a boy under the age of 10 while the child was undressing for a swimming lesson. Shibata was reportedly present in the room to supervise the students at the time.
Following the arrest, investigators seized the suspect’s personal computer, smartphone, and various storage media. A subsequent forensic analysis uncovered a staggering collection of approximately 5,000 images and videos of a similar nature.
Police suspect that Shibata was part of a network involved in the exchange of illicit materials. Investigators are currently looking into evidence suggesting that the suspect had been sharing the compromising footage with other individuals.
The investigation is ongoing as authorities work to identify other potential victims and assess the extent of the digital distribution network.
