Japanese Authorities File Additional Charges Against Thai Woman for Forcing 12-Year-Old Into Prostitution in Tokyo

On February 17, the Kyodo News reported that Pakaphon, a 38-year-old Thai woman working at a massage parlor in Japan, has been hit with additional charges related to the sexual exploitation of a 12-year-old Thai girl in Tokyo. Previously arrested in January for violating child protection laws, police believe Pakaphon worked as a broker, collaborating with Masayuki Hozono, a 52-year-old Japanese massage parlor owner, to force the young girl into sexual services. The latest arrest warrant alleges that Pakaphon and Hozono facilitated the girl's entry into Japan with a short-term visa and forced her to work beyond legally permitted boundaries. The 12-year-old girl had contacted immigration authorities for help in September and was subsequently repatriated to Thailand, while Hozono was later arrested.