How the Social-Media Prostitution Scheme Worked
On August 19, 2020, the Metropolitan Police Department's Cybercrime Division broke up a group that had been procuring women for prostitution through social media. Investigators arrested the ringleader, a 29-year-old man, and a 24-year-old female accomplice on suspicion of violating the Anti-Prostitution Act (baishun boshi-ho; procuring for prostitution) as well as the Act on Punishment of Activities Relating to Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.
The group posted catchphrases such as "easy side money" and "make 200,000 yen-plus a month with sugar dating" on Twitter (now X) and Instagram, recruiting young women in financial difficulty. They explained the details through direct messages (DMs) and then connected the women with male customers.
The Victims' Situation
At least 20 victims have been confirmed, three of whom were minors under 18. Many of the victims said they "started casually but were threatened when they tried to quit," revealing how the group used coercive tactics to keep them involved over time.
The group held the victims' personal information and reportedly created an inescapable situation by threatening to "spread their photos on social media" or "tell their families."
The Line With "Sugar Dating"
This case is easily confused with what is commonly called "papa-katsu" (sugar dating), but because a third party was acting as an intermediary, arranging sexual services in exchange for money, it clearly amounts to "procuring" (intermediation) under the Anti-Prostitution Act.
Legal experts note: "We need to clearly distinguish between a voluntary act between the parties themselves and organized intermediation by a third party. This is plainly the latter, and legally it should be treated the same as the bust of a prostitution-procuring organization."
The Challenge of Online Enforcement
The procuring of sexual services through social media has surged, and since 2020 the National Police Agency has been pushing prefectural police forces to set up dedicated online patrol units. Still, technical barriers remain high, including the level of cooperation from social-media companies and the destruction of evidence using VPNs.
This article was compiled from publicly available information and interviews with sources connected to the investigation.