‘Kendo champion’ policeman busted for child porn

YOKOHAMA — A 31-year-old police sergeant and former All-Japan Kendo Championship winner has been arrested on suspicion of violating the law against child prostitution and pornography, local police said.

Kenji Shodai, a sergeant with Kanagawa Prefectural Police, stands accused of requesting a then 16-year-old girl to send him three photos of herself naked on Oct. 16, 2011.

According to police, Shodai approached the girl after seeing her profile on a social networking website, and sent her an e-mail asking to her befriend him. Shodai further revealed his name to the girl, telling her he was a policeman and “a famous kendo player.” He then contacted her by phone, saying “I want you to send me your naked photos, because I like you.”

The girl, a second-year high school student, was a kendo fan and knew who Shodai was from even before the incident, police said.

Shodai has apparently accepted the charges against him.

The policeman won the All-Japan Kendo Championship in 2008, and most recently his team captured the World Kendo Championship held in Italy in May this year.

“We will issue a severe penalty based on the results of the investigation,” said an official with Kanagawa Prefectural Police.

Mainichi Japan, July 19, 2012
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