FUKUI (TR) – A 24-year-old middle school teacher has been dismissed after a shocking string of crimes in which he sexually assaulted a teenage girl, filmed the act, and later stalked her while out on bail, reports Fuji News Network (Oct. 16).
The Fukui Prefectural Board of Education announced the disciplinary dismissal of the teacher, who worked at a school in the town of Echizen, on October 16. During administrative hearings, the suspect admitted to the offenses, telling the board, “I could not suppress or control my emotions.”
The suspect’s crime spree came to light on July 30 when an acquaintance of the victim contacted police to report the teacher’s “strange behavior.”
The following day, police arrested the man on suspicion of non-consensual sexual intercourse. He was accused of sexually assaulting a teen girl, knowing she was under the age of 16, at his Echizen City residence on June 6. Upon his initial arrest, he fully admitted to the allegations, telling investigators, “There is no mistake that I did it.”
Escalating pattern of abuse
Subsequent investigations revealed an escalating pattern of abuse. Police uncovered that on May 6, the suspect assaulted the same girl at his home and used his smartphone to film and save videos of the crime. He was served a fresh arrest warrant for this incident on August 23 and again admitted to the charges.
Despite being indicted and subsequently released on bail, the suspect refused to leave the victim alone.
Between September 9 and 10, he targeted the teen online, repeatedly sending her social media follow requests accompanied by messages demanding she approve them. This escalation led to his third arrest for violating the Anti-Stalking Act.
“After consulting my lawyer”
When confronted with the stalking charges, the suspect reserved his plea, telling police, “I want to decide whether to speak after consulting with my lawyer.”
In the wake of the scandal, the prefectural board of education issued a formal reprimand to the principal of the suspect’s school and a written warning to the vice-principal.
To restore public trust, the board plans to hold emergency meetings for local education chiefs and mandate that all teaching staff view a compliance training video produced by lawyers to prevent future misconduct.