The creator of your name is charged with lewd conduct and child prostitution

summation

• The trial will be conducted by animation producer Koichiro Ito rather than famous director Makoto Shinkai.

• The prosecution requested six years in prison for Ito, and the defense requested probation.

• Ito has been indicted on charges of sexual assault of a minor and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 28, 2025.

animation producer Koichiro Ito He is currently on trial about a year after being detained. He previously participated in several films directed by Makoto Shinkai, including: your name is suzume and weathering with you. It is noteworthy that no famous director was involved in this incident.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 28, 2025. sankeiThe charges include child prostitution, child pornography and breaches of child protection laws, as well as ‘forcible indecency’. This is the crime of forcing someone to do something ‘indecent’ without consent. Legal consent) is required by Japanese law.

The prosecution Request that Ito be sentenced to 6 years in prisonIt is argued that there is no room for leniency in this case.

What are the defense arguing?

The defendant, on the other hand, seeks a reprieve (sometimes called a suspended sentence). Sursis) But it doesn't seem like he's denying the charges. Ito's defense team argued that he received counseling and was supervised.

In the case of probation, a person found guilty is given a period of probation instead of a prison sentence, but must follow the rules. If you violate any conditions or commit another crime while on probation, you will be sentenced to your original sentence.

According to Chapter 4 of the Japanese Criminal Code, anyone can be subject to up to three years in prison (and/or a fine of up to 500,000 yen). Before being imprisoned. People who have previously received a prison sentence of one year or less are eligible.

This means that the sentence sought by prosecutors will likely not allow for Ito's suspension.

More context about what happened

Ito was detained in February 2024. He was accused of asking a teenage girl to send him explicit photos of herself. When arrested, he admitted to this and stated that he had paid the girl for the photo shoot. According to TBS News At that time, police discovered additional videos and photos on Ito's computer.

The crime was uncovered in another investigation, in which Ito was accused of paying a then-15-year-old girl to perform “indecent activities”, including non-consensual sex (according to ANN), despite knowing she was a minor. He also admitted to the charges.

According to sankeiIn addition to forcing victims to send photos and performing lewd acts, Ito reportedly filmed these acts.

He charged three minors with the crime. Two of them are likely the girls mentioned above, but the incident involving the third minor does not appear to have been reported in Japanese media. Because the victim's identity is usually protected in these types of cases, it is unlikely that further details will be released.

According to the Child Prostitution and Child Pornography Prevention Act, ‘child’ refers to a person under the age of 18.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 28, 2025.

Makoto Shinkai's remarks in 2024

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

I was shocked to hear that someone involved in my work had been arrested. First, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the victims. I also deeply apologize for causing concern to those who love and support my work.

I don't believe what happened will diminish the value of the piece, but I know many people will now question it. It makes me feel sad and frustrated…

Source: Sankei, NHK, ANN, OtakuUSAM magazine