TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has arrested a 27-year-old former host club employee in the Kabukicho nightlife district for allegedly coercing a female customer into sex work to pay off her mounting club tabs, reports TBS News (Oct. 16).
Takuto Takeoka, who worked under the stage name “Eren” at the host club Axel by Acqua, is accused of violating the Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses.
According to investigative sources, Takeoka pressured a woman in her 20s at a Kabukicho restaurant last November to enter the sex industry to cover her debts at his club.
“There’s sex work available,” Takeoka allegedly told the victim. “If my sales go up, I can quit being a host sooner and we can use the money to go on trips together. I just need you to work hard for now.”
Groomed the victim
Police say Takeoka methodically groomed the victim after meeting her on a dating app. Initially posing as an “IT professional,” he waited until they had established a romantic relationship before revealing his true profession.
“I actually do host work as a side job,” he told her. “I want you to know everything about me, so please come to the club.”
After repeatedly visiting the club, the woman quickly fell into debt. Takeoka then introduced her to an adult industry scout, 35-year-old Takahiro Fukushige, who was also arrested on suspicion of violating the Employment Security Act. Through Fukushige, the victim was dispatched to work at a sex parlor in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture.
Takeoka also allegedly forced the woman to borrow money from consumer lenders, extracting a total of approximately 3.8 million yen from her.
Multiple women
Police suspect Takeoka systematically used this romance scam tactic to exploit multiple women.
Another woman in her 20s recently came forward with similar allegations. Speaking to TBS News, she revealed she was drained of nearly 10 million yen over a six-month period, handing over her entire sex work earnings minus basic living expenses.
“I told him I hated the idea of sex work, but he said we couldn’t go on dates unless he reached his sales quota, so I went,” the second victim said.
The case marks a legal milestone for Tokyo police. It is the first time Tokyo police have made an arrest under a specific clause of the revised Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses. Enacted in June of last year, it explicitly prohibits club employees from urging customers to engage in sex work to settle their debts.
Earlier this year, police arrested Takeoka in a similar case. However, he was not indicted.