Osaka police capture suspected serial child rapist

OSAKA — Police are investigating whether a 44-year-old local man recently arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a young girl is behind some 50 similar rapes since 2004.
Yasunao Hiyo stands accused of raping and injuring a young girl at home alone a few years ago, conning his way into the home by posing as an electrician, Osaka Prefectural Police announced on June 2. Officers also stated that DNA matching Hiyo’s was found at the scene, and that Hiyo has denied the allegations.
According to police, there have been about 50 similar assaults on young girls at their homes over the past nine years, including one in Osaka Prefecture in April 2013. In the latter case, a security camera captured a man with similar physical characteristics to Hiyo riding a bicycle near the scene of the assault, wearing a surgical mask and a white knit cap. Police say that DNA matching Hiyo’s has also been found at several of the other rape scenes.
Investigators told the Mainichi that the some 50 sexual assaults took place during long school holidays.
June 03, 2013(Mainichi Japan)