Forum - View topic

NEWS: Cosplay Photographer Arrested For Alleged Child Pornography in Japan

On May 18, the suspect allegedly used a digital camera to take three "indecent" photographs of a 17-year-old girl from a local high school at a hotel in Ikeda, Osaka. He is also suspected of taking 520 other "obscene" photographs and 11 videos. According to the investigators, Mizoguchi is denying the charges, "I thought she was over 18. I don't want to talk about it." Mizoguchi reportedly added that he was running a cosplay photoshoot and reserved a studio.

CrowLia wrote:

... but since the girl is underage and she went with her mother to the police to denounce the guy, by law they have to prosecute him. Of course, it would also be worth asking if the girl truly intended to denounce him -felt harrassed- or if the mother saw the pictures and reacted badly to them (say the girl was cosplaying Yoko from TTGL), forcing the girl to make the accussation.

Let's think about what we do know, the guy is not the equivalent of an sleazy hollywood producer, nor some rich politician or industrial, his actual job is taking pictures of cosplayers and publishing them. The girl was an actual cosplayer, not a naive girl that got into a costume from a character she never had seen. AFAIK, he should first show the photos to the girl before publishing them, so there are three logical scenarios.

1) He didn't abide by the cosplayer desires and published some photos she thought were unflattering and/or unprofessional and was so pissed she went out for revenge. Alternatively she could be mad at the photographer for another reason.

2) The girl asked for more money for the photo shoot, he said no; She threatened to sue him if he didn't fork the money, he didn't believe her and the girl went forward with the demand.

3) Some family member/friend recognized her in the photos of the of a magazine, told the family about it and the parents to cleanse her honor made her fill the demand, no doubt saying absurd things like "he made me doi it, boohoo, boohoo".

My bet is #3.

Sadly this spells the end of any extra cash for high school (or even some college) cosplayer girls, since from now on no japanese photographer will risk his career, no matter how much this girls like to cosplay (and use the money to finance said habit, since no doubt it must be common to hide it from their parents).

Past wrote:

Quote: 3. immediately start blaming the victim So never ever in the history of ever has someone who might typically be called the victim been someone who had an agenda, abused peoples concience and set someone else up?

Why are you such a paranoid cynical jerk who automatically assumes the victim of sexual abuse is faking it for personal gain?

What happened to you where that's your automatic "question", that's automatically where your "skepticism" goes? Had it ever occurred to you that bringing that sort of thing up immediately in every case where there's an alleged sexual predator makes you seem like a horrible human being?

Zac wrote:

Past wrote: Quote: 3. immediately start blaming the victim So never ever in the history of ever has someone who might typically be called the victim been someone who had an agenda, abused peoples concience and set someone else up? Why are you such a paranoid cynical jerk who automatically assumes the victim of sexual abuse is faking it for personal gain? What happened to you where that's your automatic "question", that's automatically where your "skepticism" goes? Had it ever occurred to you that bringing that sort of thing up immediately in every case where there's an alleged sexual predator makes you seem like a horrible human being?

What Zac? You're overreacting again. I'm NOT supporting the idea that we should have a default assumption the girl must have had an agenda, I'm merely putting out the idea that it's *possible* otherwise this lends any judgment you make about the case as being exceedingly naive. You're not naive are you Zac?

Besides, I don't recall actually taking sides for either the photographer or the cosplayer in my initial reaction. If you read it again, I was clear I think both parties had the best intentions, assuming (because that's all we can really do) the claims about some of photos being indecent are overblown. Possibly risqué but subject to knee-jerk reactions simply because the girl is classified as a child. However a little grey area exists because she's almost an adult and this lends to fudge room for that oh so very common mistake "I didn't realize she was underage."

Would the guy have been even taking risqué photos if she was 11 or 12. What do you think?

Mizoguchi reportedly added that he was running a cosplay photoshoot and reserved a studio.

同署によると、溝口容疑者は３月にコスプレ愛好者のサイトで女子生徒と知り合い、「コスプレの撮影会をしよう。スタジオを予約していて、もう１人女の子がくる」などと嘘をいって女子生徒を誘い出したという。

While the age of consent in japan is 13 (though that isnt that simple, you can still be arrested if your 30 and have sex with a 13 year old), You can't legally appear in porn until you're 18 I believe.

Quote:

Mizoguchi reportedly added that he was running a cosplay photoshoot and reserved a studio.

Correct me if I were mistaken, but judging to the Japanese news reports,

Quote:

同署によると、溝口容疑者は３月にコスプレ愛好者のサイトで女子生徒と知り合い、「コスプレの撮影会をしよう。スタジオを予約していて、もう１人女の子がくる」などと嘘をいって女子生徒を誘い出したという。

It was the police who told the media that suspect Mizoguchi asked cosplayers out by telling them "I'm organizing a cosplay photoshoot. A studio has been reserved; please come by yourself." It was highly unlikely that Mizoguchi had actually prepared a photoshoot; that was simply an excuse to lure girls to a hotel (where he called it "studio").

that was simply an excuse to lure girls to a hotel (where he called it "studio").

It's also a telltale sign that his biz is BS when he don't have lighting crew, hair stylists and make up artists (and extra bonus: catering crew) with him.

It's also a telltale sign that his biz is BS when he don't have lighting crew, hair stylists and make up artists (and extra bonus: catering crew) with him.

Objection you honor, the word "lure" used here implies bad intent by part of the photographer. I see nothing wrong about reserving a normal hotel room for a photo shoot (it gives the privacy booth parties require). With modern photographic equipment any room can become an studio (I have a friend that has a photo hobby and does not need to rent a fancy studio).

I repeat myself, you have no idea how much photos/videos are done nowadays without non of those and still make a profit.

However a little grey area exists because she's almost an adult

Seeing what direction the law is taking, I'm surprised they are not arresting every adult in a beach that glances at an underage girl with a bikini.

Can someone reasonably and calmly (I don't want to be attacked just for asking one simple question) explain me why people these days are so worked up about anything that can be considered "sexual"? I never understood that, and no one ever provided me with good enough arguments for me to make up my mind about it (then again, I didn't ask about this a lot, since it is such a "sensitive" topic). It's almost like people have this strange mindset that anything sexual = evil.

dormcat wrote:

Quote: Mizoguchi reportedly added that he was running a cosplay photoshoot and reserved a studio. Correct me if I were mistaken, but judging to the Japanese news reports, Quote: 同署によると、溝口容疑者は３月にコスプレ愛好者のサイトで女子生徒と知り合い、「コスプレの撮影会をしよう。スタジオを予約していて、もう１人女の子がくる」などと嘘をいって女子生徒を誘い出したという。 It was the police who told the media that suspect Mizoguchi asked cosplayers out by telling them "I'm organizing a cosplay photoshoot. A studio has been reserved; please come by yourself." It was highly unlikely that Mizoguchi had actually prepared a photoshoot; that was simply an excuse to lure girls to a hotel (where he called it "studio").

It's also a telltale sign that his biz is BS when he don't have lighting crew, hair stylists and make up artists (and extra bonus: catering crew) with him.

Past wrote:

Would the guy have been even taking risqué photos if she was 11 or 12. What do you think?

As I pointed above, in a normal, typical junior (U15, U12) to gravure idol video/photo shoot (IV), there's tasteful yet 'suggestive' ways in taking proffesional-grade photos without "crossing the line" as defined by "Japanese standards". My best bet is the latter by "crossing the line" with his (last, and hard-to-define) "grey" subject.

There's a multimillion dollar and completely legal enterprise in Japan that caters to that above niche... complete with handshake & autograph signing, and Q&A sesions in events held in Akihabara and sponsored by Softmap Co. (a subsidiaty of Bic Camera Inc.) Youtube Keyword: ソフマップ イベント (sofmap events)

All we have is "on suspicions" here, the article doesn't say that illegal materials have been produced

"three "indecent" photographs of a 17-year-old girl from a local high school at a hotel in Ikeda, Osaka. He is also suspected of taking 520 other "obscene" photographs and 11 videos.

Quote:

"three "indecent" photographs of a 17-year-old girl from a local high school at a hotel in Ikeda, Osaka. He is also suspected of taking 520 other "obscene" photographs and 11 videos.

Those numbers aren't pulled out of a hat. That's what was found on him.