Ayaka was upskirted for the first time when she was just 6 years old.

Ayaka's swim instructor was a pedophile who had targeted children for over a decade. He secretly took photos and videos of her, then shared them in a Telegram group with other pedophiles.

Ayaka's father, Suzuki, only learned his daughter was a victim two years ago when police called. Her face and name appeared in some images, making her easily identifiable. Having encouraged his daughter to join the swim school, Suzuki felt ashamed for putting her in that situation and was enraged by the perpetrator.

Ayaka is just one of countless victims of upskirting and sexual secret photography in Japan – a type of crime that has become a persistent issue in the nation. Despite years of tightened prevention measures, upskirting remains among Japan's most common sex crimes. In 2025, police nationwide arrested 9,237 individuals for secret filming acts – the highest number since data collection began.

Authorities state this increase partly stems from the new law's expanded definition and scope for prosecuting offenses. Simultaneously, the pervasive presence of smartphones has made committing and re-offending easier than ever. Warning posters are regularly displayed in train stations and public buildings across Japan. All smartphones sold in the country are required to emit a shutter sound when taking photos and videos – a measure to prevent secret filming. In 2023, Japan enacted a nationwide law prohibiting "sexual secret photography" as part of a major overhaul of its legal system for sex crimes. Previously, such incidents were handled under local regulations, which varied by prefecture.

However, a concerning trend is the decreasing age of offenders. Previously, most perpetrators were adults. According to police data, the number of upskirting cases involving minors in 2024 increased by nearly 6 times compared to the previous year and continued to rise in 2025.

"I was shocked to learn this criminal behavior is occurring in schools. The perpetrators could be classmates, and those images could be spread online," said Sumire Nagamori, a cybersecurity expert and children's rights activist.

The problem of upskirting has long been a painful issue in Japan. Photo: CNN

Nagamori attributes this concerning trend to multiple factors. The widespread ownership of smartphones gives young people constant access to recording devices and a vast array of online content, fostering the rapid spread of imitative behaviors. "Many children now own and use digital devices from a very young age, without adequate education on ethics or digital environment skills and knowledge. Before they can fully discern right from wrong, they already possess tools that can be exploited to harm others," Nagamori explained.

In chat rooms on social media platforms Telegram and Discord, users post "introductory" videos about child sexual abuse content. Some users claim to be middle or high school students and are willing to photograph classmates. Telegram states its moderation system removes millions of harmful content pieces monthly, including non-consensual pornography. They also emphasized having removed over 260,000 groups and channels related to child sexual abuse in 2026 alone.

Daisuke Nakamura, a court-appointed psychotherapist who treats individuals convicted of secret filming, reports a growing number of minor patients at his clinic. "When I opened my clinic 15 years ago, most clients were middle-aged men. Now, I see more middle school, high school, and university students," Nakamura stated. "The youngest clients are just 13-14 years old, and occasionally even elementary school students."

Kimura, now 19 years old, is among those who committed the crime and agreed to share his story under a pseudonym. Kimura became curious about upskirting at 15, after watching pornography. After months of exposure to such content, he developed the idea to act it out in real life.

At 17, Kimura said his first victim was a girl on an escalator at a subway station. Over the next year, Kimura targeted around 30 victims, only stopping when police caught him illegally entering a private home to steal underwear from a clothesline. "If I hadn't been caught then, I probably would have raped someone within the next one or two years," Kimura admitted. Since then, Kimura has participated in mandatory programs to prevent re-offending and for rehabilitation. "I truly regret it. Now I can live a normal life, but I feel I must ensure I never forget what I did," Kimura said.

Kimura began upskirting women at 17 after watching pornography. Photo: CNN

The trend of younger upskirting offenders emerges as many experts argue that Japan's legal framework has not kept pace with the rapid development of digital forms of sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse material is often prosecuted under Japan's Act on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse Content. However, many believe the current legal system is not stringent enough. The law only addresses cases involving images of children's genitals, meaning some child sexual abuse content is not considered a violation under current regulations. This legal loophole can result in perpetrators receiving much lighter sentences than the severity of their actions warrants.

Japan is currently developing a database of sex offenders, which will allow organizations working with children, such as schools and educational institutions, to verify the criminal records of applicants involved in child sexual abuse. However, unlike the sex offender registry system in the US, this data will only be accessible to eligible organizations and not publicly available for citizens to search.

Ayaka's swim instructor was sentenced to 4 years in prison for secretly photographing multiple children. Suzuki fears the day he will be released after serving half of his sentence. For the perpetrator, upskirting takes only seconds and often goes undetected. But for countless victims, the consequences can linger as a "digital scar" that persists indefinitely online. "Those who commit these crimes can atone, but my daughter will have to live with these videos for the rest of her life," Suzuki said.

Tue Anh (according to CNN)