Suspected child pornography videos sold openly: NGO
(Mainichi Japan)
A report released by a Tokyo-based human rights group on Sept. 5 pointed out that videos suspected of containing child pornography are openly sold at shops and online, calling for tougher measures against such products.
The nongovernmental group Human Rights Now inspected video products sold at three shops in Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district over a year from May last year and reported that the contents of 16 products were suspected of child pornography after purchasing some of the videos available at the stores.
The suspected videos include titles that suggest child pornography featuring elementary school students, as well as contents of children in risque swimsuits. The group points out that there is a broad misunderstanding in the industry that videos depicting children in sexually suggestive ways are not child pornography as long as they are clothed, although any images or videos depicting children under 18 engaging in sex or any acts similar to that nature, as well as any portrayal of children focused on sexual body parts such as the breast area, even without the depiction of sexual conduct, are subject to control under the anti-child pornography law.
Human Rights Now Vice President Hiroko Goto said the fact that products depicting children as sexual objects are sold was a problem.
The group’s report proposed the establishment of rules including strengthening supervision of production agencies children belong to and stricter age verification for children. It is also set to urge the government to publicize about regulations under the anti-child pornography law.
