The Wakayama Prefectural Police revealed on May 8th, 2024 that Kouichirou Itou, a 52–year–old anime producer known for his collaborations with director Makoto Shinkai, which had previously been arrested for charges involving the alleged solicitation of n*de pictures from a 15-year-old high school girl in Nagano, is now receiving additional charges for having paid an underage girl for sexual intercourse.
Additional Charges
Kouichirou Itou admitted to having paid at least 20 Underage Girls on Social Media for Sexual Favors, with one of the Most recent cases involving a 17-year-old high school girl from yokohama. The Investigators believe that Kouichirou Itou knew the age of the 17-year-old High School Girl when he paid her for 30,000 yen for sexual intercourse at his own residence back in December, 2023.
Previous Charges
He was previously charged for paying a 15-year-old girl he met in 2023, on Social Media, to participate in obscene acts including sexual intecourse. The Police says he has admitted to the charge and the report suggests Itou met the minor last summer and paid her over $130 USD each time, to perform obscene acts for over the course of two years.
Makoto Shinkai’s Statement
The Movie’s Director “Makoto Shinkai” revealed in a Tweet that he was schocked about the arrest of people involved in the production of the Movie. He also said that he would like to express his deepest sympathies to the victims, and that he his truly sorry for having caused anxiety to anyone who loves and supposrt his works. He still believes the Producer’s Charges won’t harm the value of the work but he still thinks it’s Natural to view their collaborative legacy with disbelief.
Collaborative Legacy
Makoto Shinkai and Kouichirou Itou has collabed on notable works like “The Place Promised in Our Early Days“, “Children Who Chase Lost Voices“, “The Garden of Words“, “Your name“, “Weathering With You” and “Suzume“.
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