TOKYO (TR) – The owner of a massage parlor in Bunkyo Ward in custody for allegedly forcing a 12-year-old Thai girl to provide sexual services has been further accused of operating an illegal business, reports NHK (Nov. 25).
On Tuesday, police accused Masayuki Hosono, 51, of operating a “Thai-style private massage parlor” in an area in Yushima where such a business is prohibited under the Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses.
During questioning regarding the latest allegations, Hosono said, “I knew it was in violation of the law.”
15 million yen
On November 4, police first arrested Hosono for illegally employing the Thai girl to supply sexual services between June and July of this year.
As previously reported, the girl entered Japan with her mother on a short-term visa in late June, after which her mother took her to the parlor and explained erotic massage techniques to her.
The girl is believed to have been left behind and forced to work at the shop after being brought to Japan by her mother in late June of this year.
When police raided the establishment, they arrested a 33-year-old female Thai employee on the spot for providing sexual services.
Police believe that the establishment accrued sales of approximately 15 million yen over a period of just over two years.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the girl’s employment, which is being considered a case of human trafficking. They have obtained an arrest warrant for the girl’s mother, who is currently detained in Taiwan, on suspicion of violating the Child Welfare Act.
Meanwhile, Thai police have also obtained an arrest warrant for the mother on suspicion of human trafficking, and senior police officials have indicated that the mother is expected to be transferred to Japan within the next one to two months.
