Shocking Charges Against ‘Your Name’ Producer: Child Prostitution and Obscenity Revealed!

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Summary

  • Anime producer Koichiro Ito faces trial, not renowned director Makoto Shinkai.
  • Prosecution seeks 6-year jail term for Ito, while defense seeks a suspended sentence.
  • Ito charged with indecency involving minors, sentencing hearing set for Feb 28, 2025.

The anime producer Koichiro Ito is currently standing trial, approximately a year after his arrest. Prior to this, he had been involved in the production of multiple films by Makoto Shinkai, such as “Your Name”, “Suzume”, and “Weathering with You”. It’s important to note that the acclaimed director is not connected to the case at hand.

The hearing has been scheduled for February 28, 2025, and according to Sankei, the allegations encompass breaches of the Act on Child Prostitution, Child Pornography, and the Protection of Children. Additionally, these charges include offenses categorized as “compelled indecency,” which refers to acts that involve compelling someone to engage in something lewd or obscene without their consent (or when they are underage).

The prosecution is urging that Ito receive a six-year prison sentence, arguing that there’s no justification for mercy in this particular situation.

What Is The Defense Claiming?

On the contrary, the defense is advocating for a suspended sentence (often called a sursis) instead. However, they are not disputing the accusations. Lawyers for Ito state that he has been attending therapy and has been under supervision.

Instead of going to prison immediately, a suspended sentence gives the convict a chance on probation. However, they must abide by the rules during this time. Any violation of these conditions or commission of another crime while on probation could lead to serving the initial prison term.

As stated in Chapter IV of Japan’s Penal Code, an individual may be eligible for suspended sentencing, which means avoiding immediate imprisonment, if they have no prior prison sentences. This applies when the prison term is up to three years (or a fine of up to 500,000 yen). However, those who have previously served a prison sentence can still be eligible for suspended sentencing if their current sentence is less than one year in prison.

In other words, it appears that the sentence the prosecutor wants would make Ito ineligible for suspension.

More Context About What Happened

In February 2024, Ito was held in custody. He was under suspicion for requesting a minor girl to share explicit images of herself. Upon his arrest, he confessed to the act and disclosed that he had compensated the girl for the photos. As reported by TBS News at the time, the authorities found additional videos and photographs on Ito’s computer.

During a different probe, it emerged that Ito was suspected of having paid a 15-year-old girl for lewd acts, which included forced sexual activity (as reported by ANN). This occurred when he knew she was a minor. Moreover, he acknowledged the accusations against him.

As reported by Sankei, it’s alleged that Ito not only made victims send photographs and participated in explicit activities with them, but he also recorded these actions on film.

The individual stands accused of alleged crimes involving three minors. Two of these minors might be the girls previously mentioned, however, news about the third minor has yet to surface in Japanese media. Given that victims’ identities are usually confidential in such cases, it seems unlikely we’ll get more details.

As per the Child Prostitution and Child Pornography Act, a “child” refers to anyone who has not yet reached the age of 18.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 28, 2025.

Makoto Shinkai’s Statement in 2024

When Ito was detained in 2024, Shinkai addressed the situation on social media:

It came as a surprise when I found out that someone connected to my projects had been taken into custody. Above all, I offer my sincere sympathies to the affected individuals. Furthermore, I apologize for any unease this incident may have caused for those who admire and stand by my creative endeavors.

I’m confident that the incident won’t diminish the worth of those productions, but I can’t ignore the fact that it may lead to doubts about them. This situation leaves me feeling both sad and irritated…

Sources: Sankei, NHK, ANN, OtakuUSAMagazine

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2025-01-22 00:13