Overview of the Verdict
On September 14, 2022, the Tokyo District Court handed down a sentence of two years in prison, suspended for three years, plus a forfeiture of 8.5 million yen to a 31-year-old defendant who operated a members-only prostitution-procurement website, for violating the Anti-Prostitution Act (procuring prostitution).
The presiding judge stated clearly: "Even an act conducted through the digital medium of the internet, the procuring of sexual acts falls within the scope of the Anti-Prostitution Act. Technology is no cover for crime."
Background of the Case
For about two years from 2019, the defendant matched women with male customers through a members-only website and collected fees. While the site's terms stated it was "for the purpose of friendship," sexual services were in fact bought and sold openly, and the defendant was found to have operated the site while aware of this.
Significance of the Forfeiture
What draws attention in this verdict is the 8.5-million-yen forfeiture. Stripping criminal proceeds has a strong deterrent effect on crimes driven by economic motives. A lawyer praised it, saying, "The active use of forfeiture is one effective measure against the online procurement of sexual services."
This article is compiled based on publicly available information and court records.