Man Impersonating Reporter from Renowned Media Filming Cheerleaders Claims "No Sexual Intent" After Identity Revealed

3-Month Suspension Imposed
Coverage of Students from Cheerleading Squads and Cheer Teams at Various Universities

A firefighter in Japan who posed as a reporter from a major newspaper and filmed cheerleaders was caught and received a suspension.

The photo is not related to the article. [Image source=Getty Images]

According to Nikkan Gendai on the 25th, the Kamakura City Fire Department in Kanagawa Prefecture suspended a firefighter from the afternoon fire station's security division for three months on the 21st for illegally using a former Asahi Shimbun reporter's business card and filming university baseball cheerleaders.

The firefighter forged and used an Asahi Shimbun reporter's business card starting in April this year. He applied for coverage and repeatedly interviewed several university cheering squads and cheerleading club students. However, when no articles were published, the university requested confirmation from Asahi Shimbun, which eventually exposed the deception. The reporter named on the business card had already retired, the newspaper reported.

During police questioning, the firefighter stated, "I thought using Asahi Shimbun on the business card would make it easier to cover stories than as a freelancer."

A Kamakura City Fire Department official said, "He denied any sexual motives," adding, "It seems he created the card by imitating a business card exchanged previously with an Asahi Shimbun employee."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.