Kyoto daycare worker arrested for sexual assault of boy
A former after-school care worker was arrested on the 9th of April by the Kyoto Prefectural Police, after evidence that is said to show the assault of a child at a school day-care service surfaced.
Daishi Osako, a 35-year-old former childcare worker residing in Hontoro-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto City was arrested on suspicion of sexual assault and other offenses.
The charges stem from an alleged incident in September 2020, where Osako was, at the time, an employee of a company providing after-school day care services.
He is accused of sexually assaulting a male elementary school student while the child was asleep in a car and surreptitiously recording the assault on his smartphone.
According to the prefectural police investigation, the alleged sexual assault occurred at approximately 00:10 a.m. on September 22nd, 2020.
The location of the incident was reported to be the interior of a car parked in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto City.
At the time of the alleged crime, Osako was entrusted with the care of the then nine-year-old fourth-grade boy, with the consent of the child’s guardian.
The police investigation revealed that Osako had been looking after the boy until late into the night on the date of the incident.
The Kyoto Prefectural Police initiated their investigation after receiving information from concerned parties.
Following these leads, they conducted a search of locations associated with the suspect.
During the search, a video recording believed to depict the alleged sexual assault was discovered on Osako’s seized smartphone.
Further details released by the police indicate that Osako continued to be employed by the after-school day care service provider until 2022, when he reportedly left the company.
The victim was identified as a regular attendee of the after-school care services provided by Osako’s former employer.
Upon his arrest, Osako reportedly confessed to the charges during police questioning.
The charges against Osako include sexual assault, which under Japanese law carries significant penalties, especially when the victim is a minor.
The additional element of recording the assault further compounds the severity of the alleged offenses, which if proven are expected to result in a long sentence given the act was carried out whilst in what should have been a position of trust.
The investigation is ongoing, as authorities attempt to uncover further details regarding Osako’s motivations and the full extent of the harm caused to the young victim.
Source: Sankei Shimbun