OSAKA（TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested two men for forcing girls who frequent a gathering spot for young people in Osaka City’s downtown Minami area into prostitution, reports the Asahi Shimbun (June 20).
According to police, Yusuke Kimura, 34, and Koki Hideshima, 24, are a part of a group that preys on young women and girls in downtown Osaka.
On June 13 last year, Kimura and Hideshima are suspected of conspiring to have a teenage high school girl engage in prostitution with two men in their 50s at a hotel in Kishiwada City.
Kimura is also suspected of meeting with the high school girl the day before at a cafe in Osaka and promising to share the proceeds from prostitution.
The high school girl was recruited through social media. Police said that June 13 and 14 she engaged in prostitution with a total of five men, including two in their 50s. She told police that she “earned a total of 75,000 yen, and my share was 27,000 yen.”
Police have not revealed whether the suspects admit to violating the Anti-prostitution Law and the Child Welfare Law.
“Gurishita”
The girls were recruited from the “Gurishita” area, whose name is a reference to the popular meeting place under (shita) the popular Glico advertisement in downtown Osaka City.
Law enforcement considers the operation to be an anonymous, mobile crime group (tokuryu) that forces many young women, including girls, into prostitution.
During the investigation, evidence emerged showing that Kimura was in charge of a staff of around 70 people who recruited prostitutes through dating sites and transported girls to prostitution venues.
In a separate case, Kaito Takimoto, a 26-year-old resident of Sakai City, is currently on trial for forcing one high school girl to have sex with at least 109 men over a 10-day period while traveling by car around Tohoku and other areas. He also coerced another girl to have sex with at least 28 men over a 5-day period in Hokuriku.
Takimoto is an associate of Kimura and Hideshima. Based on the investigation into Takimoto, police learned about the involvement of Kimura and Hideshima in the group.
Police are currently investigating the true nature of the group.
