34-year-old Japanese student is charged over "upskirt" photos

[Steve]

Third charged over tennis 'upskirt' photos

January 24, 2007 - 12:01PM

A 34-year-old Japanese student was tonight in custody in Melbourne, accused of taking photographs of women in the shower at a backpackers hostel.

Takuya Muto, of Sydney, is also alleged to have taken photos up a woman's skirt at the Australian Open Tennis Tournament.

Muto appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court today facing four charges, including stalking, using an optical device, offensive behaviour and unlawful assault.

He was arrested yesterday at the All Nations City Backpackers in Spencer Street in Melbourne's CBD.

Muto, with bleached blonde hair and a black goatee, appeared briefly in court wearing a striped green polo shirt.

He was assisted by a Japanese interpreter.

Defence counsel Natalie Sheridan-Smith applied for the case to be adjourned for a guilty plea tomorrow.

"He's in good health, there's no drug related issues and he's just looking forward to finalising the matter as quickly as possible,'' she said.

Ms Sheridan-Smith requested court documents be withheld from the media, but magistrate Malcolm Walter declined, saying that the case had significant public interest.

Two people have been arrested in the last two weeks for allegedly taking up-skirt photos at the Australian Open.

A third man who allegedly had a camera lens concealed in his shoe was recently charged over similar behaviour on Melbourne trams.

Muto was remanded in custody to reappear in court tomorrow.
AAP


During my procrastination, I came across this news item. I'm sure you'll all be blasé about it because it seems quite "normal" in Japan but this is probably just another attempt by me to delay any productive work to be done. :)

[Urban~Ninja]

Damn those crafty Japanese.....Tennis is no place for upskirts it a place for a manga based around the sport....

[Steve]

Hi fellow aussie. :wave:

These perverts are getting pretty techy. With pinhole cameras in shoes and stuff...

More procratination. :(

[CrazyAce86]

I made it as far as '34-year-old student' and went, "Wha?"

I know it happens, but in conjunction with the rest of it... Yeeeeaaaah...

[MNJetter]

lol, CrazyAce, I didn't even notice that until you pointed it out. That's pretty funny.

See, this is the whole reason why I never wear a short skirt in public. I always find myself getting paranoid about anyone of the opposite sex who comes within fifty feet of me. Going up escalators is particularly nerve-wracking. It wouldn't be nearly such a fear in America, but I was warned about stuff like that before coming to Japan, and now I can't get it out of my head.

[Steve]

I made it as far as '34-year-old student' and went, "Wha?"


Same thing I thought when I saw it. :)

[japanat]

This truly is a fetish that I just don't understand. If she doesn't want to show it to me, I really don't want to see. No turn-on there.

Now, if she wants to show it to me (and, of course, she's my wife!)...

[Jetsetlemming]

Muto appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court today facing four charges, including stalking, using an optical device, offensive behaviour and unlawful assault.
Either there's something missing here from the article, or Australia has banned cameras. :duh:
*edit* And wait, "unlawful assault", what? First, there's such a thing as lawful assault? And second, taking pictures of someone counts as assault now? Is it only lawful assault when you're actually assaulting them instead of just being a voyeur?

[mugen]

I made it as far as '34-year-old student' and went, "Wha?"

I know it happens, but in conjunction with the rest of it... Yeeeeaaaah...
Maybe this is typically Dutch, but there are tons of 30+ people at my university taking undergrad courses. Not strange at all.

[Steve]

Either there's something missing here from the article, or Australia has banned cameras. :duh:
*edit* And wait, "unlawful assault", what? First, there's such a thing as lawful assault? And second, taking pictures of someone counts as assault now? Is it only lawful assault when you're actually assaulting them instead of just being a voyeur?

I don't know the state of other country's media but I absolutely despise the level of journalism sometimes here in Australia. This is probably just another example of the quality of journalism. An example would be a recent article I read on University admissions that used forum posts as a reliable source.

Maybe this is typically Dutch, but there are tons of 30+ people at my university taking undergrad courses. Not strange at all.

Now that you mention it, he's probably a uni student.

[Lisa M]

I think the optical device is connected to the stalking. Stalking with an optical device.

At least I hope so, or Australia has some weird-ass laws.

[RoxFontaine]

lol, CrazyAce, I didn't even notice that until you pointed it out. That's pretty funny.

See, this is the whole reason why I never wear a short skirt in public. I always find myself getting paranoid about anyone of the opposite sex who comes within fifty feet of me. Going up escalators is particularly nerve-wracking. It wouldn't be nearly such a fear in America, but I was warned about stuff like that before coming to Japan, and now I can't get it out of my head.

Hahahahahahaha! :clap:

[Steve]

At least I hope so, or Australia has some weird-ass laws.

As a matter of fact, we do. It is illegal to wear a skirt when one has a unusual looking arse.

[geesehoward4life]

As a matter of fact, we do. It is illegal to wear a skirt when one has a unusual looking arse.

I don't even wanna know what the hell that means, LOL!!!!

And yeah, when I saw 34 year old student I said "Okay... 34 year old 'student'... STUDENT OF PERV U! LOL!!!! GO TEAM!":frypan:

He was in "good spirits", LOL!!!! Aww man, Japan! I LOVE IT!!!! LOL!!!! He brought a piece of home, to Australia! :clap: That kind of behavior over here will get you beaten to a pulp if you get caught! Right now here in Philadelphia there is a Foot Fetish Bandit that is knocking off University of Penn and Drexel students for the sole purpose of doing things to their shoes and FEET! :blank: LOL!!!! I'm serious here people and the cops here are after this dude because of course he's considered mental because who knows when he'll want more than pervy pleasure of some chicks feet!

The funny thing is that the incidents are being treated very seriously, but I wonder how they would be treated in Japan...? :box: Never mind the fact that my brother thought it would be especially funny to send me a video file of these Japanese dudes runnin around runnin up on women and pullin their skirts down and then running off! :eyepop:

[Cherub Rock]

He could have been a grad student. It's not uncommon for people to leave college to get work experience before applying to grad school, either to get the money to pay for it or because work experience is expected. At least that's how it is in the US. If you want to go into a good MBA program you are expected to do 2 years of meaningful work experience, though it's not exactly "required." But I read the average age of people in MBA programs in America is 25. You figure some of them will be 22 year-olds finishing college, and some of them will be 30 year-olds going back for more training.

Plus some companies will pay for people to take part-time classes to earn degrees.

That said, I thought the same thing. 34, eh?

[Steve]

Another Tidbit: Apparently, he was taken down by two women when he was trying to take pictures of a woman in the unisex bathroom.

[geesehoward4life]

It just gets weirder and FUNNIER! Good for them! :karate:

[Jetsetlemming]

Right now here in Philadelphia there is a Foot Fetish Bandit that is knocking off University of Penn and Drexel students for the sole purpose of doing things to their shoes and FEET! :blank: LOL!!!! I'm serious here people and the cops here are after this dude because of course he's considered mental because who knows when he'll want more than pervy pleasure of some chicks feet!

They started getting serious about this guy after the latest girl he attacked was 15/16. :blank:

[geesehoward4life]

Like I said, who knows when he'll want more than just the pervy pleasure of some girls feet.

[Steve]

They should plant an undercover cop with very bad foot odour and we'll see if he'll ever feel like perving on women's feet again.

[atomiton]

Another Tidbit: Apparently, he was taken down by two women when he was trying to take pictures of a woman in the unisex bathroom.
Gee, Ozzie women are so manly...

Perhaps he thought he thought he was in the men's changeroom?

(You know I'm kidding)