"Over 100 Minors Involved in Prostitution"... 'Neoui Ireumeun' PD Sentenced to 6 Years in Prison

Japanese Prosecutors: "Paid for Sex and Collected Video Footage"

Koichiro Ito, the producer of the Japanese animated film "Your Name," which was also successful in South Korea, has been sentenced to six years in prison on charges including child prostitution.

According to NHK and other sources, the Japanese prosecution recently demanded a six-year prison sentence for Ito (52), stating that he "paid more than 100 women for sexual relations and filmed and collected the footage."

Animation Movie 'Your Name' Poster

Police investigations revealed that in December 2023, Ito paid 30,000 yen (approximately 270,000 KRW) to a 17-year-old high school girl at his home and had sexual relations with her, filming the act. It was confirmed that he committed the crime knowing the girl was a minor.

He was arrested last year on February for paying a 15-year-old high school girl to send nude photos. There is also a charge that in September 2021, he used social networking services (SNS) to meet a victim from another region, knowing she was under 18, and made her take nude photos and send them to his mobile phone. The victim was 15 years old at the time of the crime.

Additionally, other photos and videos of women were found on Ito’s personal computer. During police questioning, he said, "Because I exchanged with others as well, I do not remember which child is in the videos on the computer."

Initially, Ito denied some of the charges, but later admitted to most of them, stating that he prostituted with at least 20 minor women and requested a suspended sentence. It is reported that he reached agreements with two victims and is currently receiving counseling through medical institutions. The final verdict is scheduled for the 28th of next month.

Ito managed a production company and participated in the production of the film "Your Name." Directed by Makoto Shinkai, "Your Name" was released in 2017 and received great love from domestic audiences, recording a cumulative audience of 3.91 million. Ito also participated in the Japanese animated film "Suzume no Tojimari," which was released in 2022 and gained popularity.

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