A Japanese man has been arrested on suspicion of illegally employing a 12-year-old Thai girl at a private-room massage parlour in Tokyo, where she is believed to have been forced to provide sexual services to male customers, police said on Thursday.
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Masayuki Hosono, 51, is suspected of employing a child under the age of 15 at “Relax Time” in Tokyo’s Yushima district in violation of labour standards laws, with police investigating the case as a possible incident of human trafficking.
Police, who arrested Hosono on Tuesday, have not said if he has admitted or denied the charges.
The girl came to Japan in late June with her mother, who instructed her to work at the shop, according to police. The girl was quoted as telling investigators she believed her family would not be able to survive if she did not work.
The mother left Japan, leaving her daughter behind on a 15-day “short-term stay” visa, typically issued to tourists.
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The girl served some 60 customers while living inside the massage parlour for around one month between June and July. All her earnings were managed by Hosono, and the amount after deducting the shop’s share was transferred to the girl’s mother, police said.