Ex-NHK children's TV director gets suspended sentence for groping girl on train

The Mainichi Shimbun
August 9, 2007
Source: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070809p2a00m0na011000c.html

The Tokyo District Court handed a former director of children's television programs for public broadcaster NHK a suspended prison sentence on Thursday, after convicting him of groping a high school girl on a train in Tokyo.

The former director, Yosuke Imai, 30, was sentenced to two year's imprisonment, suspended for four years.

Judge Shinichiro Sato blasted Imai's actions.

"It was a despicable crime in which he groped a woman who was unable to resist him because of her embarrassment," Sato said.

Imai was convicted of reaching up the skirt of a high school girl on the Tokyu Denentoshi Line, and then putting his hand inside her underwear and groping her for about 10 minutes from 7:42 a.m. on June 8. (Mainichi)

August 9, 2007

Kids TV director becomes 3rd NHK employee arrested for molestation in 1 month

The Mainichi Shimbun
June 9, 2007
Source: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070609p2a00m0na002000c.html

Another employee of public broadcaster NHK has been arrested for molesting a high school girl on a train, police said.

Yosuke Imai, 30, a director of children's TV programs, is accused of indecent assault after he put his hand up the victim's skirt and fondled her buttocks on a Tokyu Denen-Toshi Line train in Tokyo Friday morning, investigators said.

He admitted to the allegations during questioning. "That high school girl just really turned me on," he was quoted as telling investigators.

The incident follows the arrests of a chief producer at an affiliate and another NHK director earlier this month for molesting women. In May, an NHK presenter was also arrested for indecent assault.

NHK President Genichi Hashimoto has expressed deep apologies to viewers and said the broadcaster will step up efforts to prevent a recurrence.

"We take the latest incident seriously as it has ruined our efforts to restore the public's confidence in us. We deeply apologize to viewers. We'd like to implement measures to prevent any wrongdoing, such as reviewing of punitive measures against employees," Hashimoto said in a statement. (Mainichi)

June 9, 2007

NHK employee on loan to affiliate busted for child prostitution

The Mainichi Shimbun
June 1, 2007
Source: http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070601p2a00m0na019000c.html

An NHK employee who is on loan to an affiliate has been arrested for child prostitution, the public broadcaster said.

Eigen Emoto, 34, is accused of violating the anti-child pornography law.

NHK expressed regret and an apology over the incident. "It is indeed regrettable that an employee who is on loan to another entity has been arrested. We deeply apologize for the incident. We'll strictly deal with the case after getting to the bottom of the incident."

Emoto was arrested on Thursday for having sexual relations with a 16-year-old girl he had got acquainted with through an online matchmaking site at a hotel in Arakawa-ku, Tokyo, in October last year, NHK officials said.

Emoto joined NHK in 1998 as a program director and is now on loan to NHK Educational Corp., which produces NHK educational and cultural programs. (Mainichi)

June 1, 2007