A 55-year-old Singaporean man, who was previously employed as a counsellor at the Singapore Embassy in Japan, has been accused of taking voyeuristic photos at a public bath in Tokyo. The incident is said to have taken place on February 27, 2024, at a bath house located in the Minato ward, where the Singapore embassy is also situated.
According to reports, the man was caught using his phone to film a naked 13-year-old boy in the men’s changing room of the bath house. An employee at the bath house noticed the suspicious behavior and reported it to the police. Upon investigation, the police found photos of the naked boy on the man’s smartphone, as well as photos of other male patrons in the changing room.
The man is reported to have admitted to the police that he had filmed others at the bath house in Minato five times in the past, and at other public bath houses in Japan, where he had taken at least 700 photos over a six-month period. However, he allegedly deleted the photos of the 13-year-old boy at the request of the boy’s parents on the day he was caught.
The man is said to have told the police officers that he was a diplomat and refused to go to a police station, instead choosing to answer their questions at the bath house. He has not been charged but has been requested to appear in the Japanese court by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
The police are considering levying charges against the man for violating child pornography laws, as they have evidence that they will submit to prosecutors. The man has immunity from arrest in Japan as a diplomat until he leaves the country, and the police made the court request through Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This incident is a stark reminder of the importance of respecting privacy and upholding the law, regardless of one’s position or status. It is crucial that the man is held accountable for his actions and faces the consequences of his behavior.