Thai mother jailed for trafficking daughter into prostitution in Japan

A Thai criminal court has sentenced a woman to seven-and-a-half years in prison for trafficking her underage daughter into sexual exploitation at a massage parlour in Tokyo.

The mother entered Japan with her then-12-year-old daughter in June last year under the pretext of a sightseeing trip before abandoning the girl at the massage parlour, the court said.

The case came to light in September after the girl sought help from the Tokyo Regional Immigration Services Bureau.

Thai police said the mother's statements showed that she had reached an agreement with the former operator of the massage parlour to have the girl work there.

The court said the mother had no prior criminal convictions but had previously worked as a masseuse overseas for stints of approximately 14 to 19 days, earning between 50,000 and 80,000 baht on each trip.

The mother was detained in Taiwan in September on suspicion of engaging in prostitution and was deported to Thailand in December to face charges.

The daughter told Japanese aid workers that she wanted to return home and attend school. She returned to Thailand in December and is now under the protection of a support organisation.

A Tokyo man, identified as Hosono Masayuki, was arrested on suspicion of forcing the girl to provide sexual services at his massage parlour.

According to NHK, police allege that Hosono employed the girl for about one month, between June and July.

Police said the girl is believed to be one of the youngest known victims of human trafficking in Japan in recent years.

Local media reported that the girl received 600,000 yen (about 126,000 baht) over the course of a month, but the money was transferred to an account belonging to someone connected to her mother.

Japanese investigators said the girl, who does not speak Japanese, was forced to live in the parlour's kitchen and provide sexual services to about 60 clients between June and July.