A Japanese mother was rearrested on Thursday under suspicion of taking illegal photos of naked women at public bathhouses. The images were reportedly for her 37-year-old adult son, who had requested she photograph the women over a period of at least four months, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.
Satomi Seki, 63, told police that her son, Akinori, had been a recluse for about 20 years, rarely leaving the house they both lived in together. She added that in order to “calm down” her son, she snuck in small cameras inside changing rooms and bathhouses to take photos of the naked women.
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Police were first alerted to Satomi’s suspected crimes on Dec. 30, when the staff at a bathing facility in Aichi, central Japan, saw her sneak two cameras into a plastic toiletry basket. When she tried to walk into the changing room, the staff seized her on the spot.
Upon further investigation, police learned that her son conspired with her to take the photos. Authorities subsequently arrested him on Jan. 4 and finally rearrested the pair again on Thursday. Prosecutors will often rearrest suspects to evade Japan’s maximum pre-charge custody period of 23 days.
Based on the seized camera footage, police determined that the two have been taking illicit photographs and videos since August, doing so on over 20 occasions.
Satomi and Akinori have been arrested on charges of voyeuristic photography and filming. If found guilty of repeated offenses, they could be punished with a two year prison sentence or a fine of up to $7,673. They also face charges of trespassing, a crime punishable by no more than three years in prison, or a maximum fine of 100,000 yen (about $767).
According to government data, the number of arrests for voyeurism and illicit filming crimes in Japan has more than doubled in the last decade. In 2021, arrests for these crimes went up 20 percent from the previous year to 5,019, a record high.
In an attempt to curb these crimes, police in Kyoto prefecture have been releasing ads on YouTube and other streaming platforms urging people to stop upskirting. In neighboring Osaka prefecture, where illicit photography crimes have more than tripled in the last decade, plain-clothed officers have been deployed to increase patrolling in busy areas like train stations.
But these efforts are too weak, according to Chiharu Yamauchi, head of the nonprofit Voyeurism Crime Prevention Volunteer Wc. Her group patrols crowded areas to call out perpetrators, as well as identifies hidden cameras tucked into bathrooms and other public facilities.
“Making posters encouraging victims of voyeurism to reach out to the police is important,” Yamauchi told VICE World News. “But we also need ways to prevent the actual crimes, not just what to do once a person becomes a victim, because at that point it’s already too late.”
She attributed the rise of voyeurism cases to how ubiquitous smartphones have become, adding that today, anyone has the technology to take illicit photographs. In this specific case, she said, it’s not just cellphones—perpetrators can also get their hands on small devices like spycams.
Yamauchi said public education on the issue and outreach to perpetrators are important ways to curb the problem. “But bystanders should also learn to step in—we have to create a culture where people look out for each other,” she said.
Satomi admitted to all charges, but said she was pressured by her son. Akinori denies conspiring with her on all occasions. Asked about his own motives, he didn’t hide his intentions from the police.
“When I learned the photos could be sold on the internet, I thought I’d try to sell them,” NHK reported Akinori stating. According to police, the photos have not been sold.
