Asahi: Officer on 'sex watch' got massages for free
An assistant police inspector in charge of monitoring the sex industry in his area was arrested on suspicion of coercing a woman into giving him free massages at her parlor in Tokyo's Taito Ward, officials said. Kazuzo Watanabe, 57, based at the Kuramae Police Station in the ward, had apparently threatened to crack down on her massage parlor if she didn't provide him with free service. Watanabe was arrested Friday on suspicion of extortion and abuse of power as a public official. He has admitted to the allegation, police said. In early October last year, Watanabe asked the woman, in her 30s and a massage shop operator, to come to the police station where he obtained her cellphone number on the pretext of examining her business activities, according to investigators. He then allegedly visited the shop on the next day and forced her to give him a body massage without charge, threatening to otherwise take action against it. He similarly got another free massage in mid-October. Police said Watanabe also asked the woman to date him when he visited her shop but she refused. Although the woman operated the parlor legally, she did as she was told because she "didn't want to antagonize the police." Watanabe's actions came to light in December when a friend of the woman reported the case to a different police station.