Japanese Football Official Sentenced for Watching Child Abuse Images on Flight

A high-ranking figure from the Japan Football Association has been given an one-and-a-half-year suspended prison sentence in the French court system after getting discovered looking at material that depict child sex abuse while onboard an flight.

Technical director Masanaga Kageyama was detained recently during a transit at Charles de Gaulle airport, as reported by official reports, which noted that he later admitted to accessing the images, stating he was had no idea it was illegal in France.

He was believed to have been headed for the Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

The football association announced that his position would be terminated with immediate action, stating that the event was "unacceptable conduct to the soccer community".

Court Case

The legal authorities told news agencies that the flight crew had raised the alarm after they noticed Kageyama looking at the pornographic images on the flight.

He had been operating his computer in a first-class section of an international flight, and when questioned he had asserted that the pictures were "art" and computer-generated, per court records.

Verdict

On the beginning of the week, the judicial system ruled against the 58-year-old to a suspended prison sentence and a monetary sanction of 5,000 euros - along with a 10-year ban on employment involving youth or entering the country.

Organizational Response

In a statement, the sports organization issued an apology for the "distress" the situation had created.

"This incident is unacceptable behavior to the football world," governing body head commented. "While we have been addressing this concern, we will use this incident as an chance to reassess the governance and ethical standards of the soccer industry and to significantly improve and improve it."

Background Information

Kageyama is a former professional footballer who stopped competing in 1996 before transitioning to a representative to domestic clubs. He also did stints coaching teams in the special administrative region and the Southeast Asian nation.