Ibaraki taxi driver arrested again on stalking charge over tracking tag on woman's car
In short
Ibaraki prefectural police have arrested a 57-year-old taxi driver from Shirosato on suspicion of violating the Stalker Control Law. Police allege he filmed a woman in her 20s with a smartphone twice in May and attached a lost-item tracking tag to the underside of her car in September. Police say he admitted the allegations, and he had already been arrested in September over a different woman.
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Ibaraki prefectural police arrested a 57-year-old taxi driver from Ishizuka, Shirosato, on October 6 on suspicion of violating the Stalker Control Law, the Mainichi Shimbun reported. The case concerns a woman in her 20s for whom, according to the outlets, he had one-sided feelings. TBS NEWS DIG and Livedoor News also reported the arrest. Livedoor News named him as Fujio Sekine. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
According to the Mainichi Shimbun, police allege that on May 21 and May 28 he filmed the woman with a smartphone near her home, and that around September 13 he attached a lost-item tracking tag, which can identify location, to the underside of her light car. Livedoor News, citing police, said the tag was about 3 cm in diameter and was linked to his smartphone. [ 1 , 2 ]
Police say the suspect admitted the allegations. The Mainichi Shimbun quoted him as saying he had "one-sided feelings of affection" for the woman, and reported that he hinted he had obtained her location several times. Livedoor News said he told police, in effect, that he had checked her location several times because of those feelings. [ 1 , 2 ]
The woman had not noticed that the tag had been attached. The Mainichi Shimbun reported that the two knew each other only by sight and that she had never ridden in his taxi. [ 1 , 2 ]
The Mainichi Shimbun described the October arrest as a re-arrest. It said that on September 16 he was arrested on the same charge for attaching a tag to the car of another woman he did not know and obtaining her location several times. Livedoor News reported that last month he was arrested on suspicion of stalking a different woman, in her 40s, and released with a decision on charges pending. The Mainichi Shimbun said police believe there are other victims, and Livedoor News said police suspect further offences and are continuing their investigation. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
Police are investigating whether there are other victims or further offences. The Mainichi Shimbun reports that both arrests involve lost-item tracking tags attached to women's cars and used to obtain their location.
Key facts
- Ibaraki prefectural police arrested a 57-year-old taxi driver from Shirosato on suspicion of violating the Stalker Control Law. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Police allege he filmed a woman in her 20s with a smartphone on two occasions in May; the Mainichi Shimbun gives the dates as May 21 and May 28, near her home. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Police allege he attached a lost-item tracking tag to the underside of the woman's car in September; the Mainichi Shimbun gives the date as around September 13. [ 1 , 2 ]
- According to police, the tag was about 3 cm in diameter and was linked to the suspect's smartphone, Livedoor News reported. [ 2 ]
- Police say the suspect admitted the allegations and indicated he had checked the location information several times. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The woman had not noticed the tag; the Mainichi Shimbun reported she knew him only by sight and had never ridden in his taxi. [ 1 , 2 ]
- He had been arrested in September on suspicion of stalking a different woman; the Mainichi Shimbun said that case also involved a tag attached to her car. [ 1 , 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The suspect's name is given as Fujio Sekine. Only Livedoor News names him; the Mainichi Shimbun does not.
- After his September arrest he was released with a decision on charges pending. Only Livedoor News reports this.
- The earlier victim was a woman in her 40s with whom he had no acquaintance, and he obtained her location several times. Livedoor News gives her age and the Mainichi Shimbun says he did not know her; neither detail is reported by both outlets.
- Where the alleged filming and tag attachment took place. The Mainichi Shimbun says the filming was near the woman's home, and Livedoor News says she lives in Ibaraki prefecture, but neither names the town.
- Whether there are other victims or further offences. The Mainichi Shimbun says police believe there are other victims and Livedoor News says police suspect further offences; both say the investigation is continuing.
- A 57-year-old taxi driver from Shirosato, Ibaraki prefecture, was arrested on suspicion of violating the Stalker Control Law. Reported by a single source so far
- He is accused of filming a woman in her 20s twice in May and attaching a lost-item tracking tag to her car in September. Reported by a single source so far
- Police say he admitted the allegations and told them he had checked the woman's location several times. Reported by a single source so far
- The woman was unaware of the tag. Reported by a single source so far
- He was arrested in September on suspicion of stalking a different woman. Reported by a single source so far