Man denies allegedly forcing Thai girl,12, into sex work in JapanPeople walk at a shopping area of Shinjuku in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept 11, 2025. (File photo: Reuters)KYODO - A man accused of conspiring with a woman to force a then 12-year-old Thai girl into sex work at a Tokyo massage parlour he operated denied the charges Monday. "I did not know she was underage," Masayuki Hosono, 52, told the Tokyo District Court during the first hearing of his criminal trial. In their opening statement, the prosecutors said the girl entered Japan on a short-term visa after her mother told her she would be working there. Thai police arrested the girl's mother in December on suspicion of offences including human trafficking.

Source: Bangkok Post March 02, 2026 15:39 UTC