Matchmaking site arrests down, but juvenile victims as high as ever

The Mainichi Shimbun
February 21, 2008
Source: http://mdn.mainichi.jp/national/news/20080221p2a00m0na026000c.html

The number of cases where people were taken into custody for violating laws related to online personals declined last year, but the number of juvenile victims embroiled in these cases became proportionately higher, the National Police Agency said.

Last year, there were 1,753 cases where police made arrests or reported people to prosecutors for breaking laws related to the regulation of matchmaking sites, a decrease of 162 cases compared to 2006.

But the 1,100 juveniles involved in these cases was only a margin decrease on the 1,153 children caught up the previous year, giving crimefighters cause for alarm.

"The number of children falling victim is still too high," an NPA spokesman said.

Police said of the arrests, there were 122 cases where people were taken in for breaking the online personals regulation law by encouraging juveniles to have sex, an increase of 75 instances more than the previous year. There were 61 cases where the child had been the instigator, up from 43 in 2006.

There were 848 juvenile victims in cases related to matchmaking sites, a decline of eight on the year earlier. Two of the victims were elementary school pupils.

NPA officials plan to combat problems related to online personals sites by tightening the laws regulating them. They have decided to revise the law to make it compulsory for site operators to register with prefectural public safety commissions. Site operators will also be obligated to remove any posts that may encourage children to become involved in illegal activities.

（Mainichi Japan） February 21, 2008