JAPAN TIMES


 

The Metropolitan Police Department has referred Shinji Saito, a member of popular comedy trio Jungle Pocket, to prosecutors over allegations of sexually assaulting a woman and performing nonconsensual sexual intercourse on her in a bus at a filming location, investigative sources revealed on Monday.

Saito, 41, has admitted to the charges, saying that “it was a reckless act that caused trouble for the other party and my own family,” the sources said.

The comedian is alleged to have sexually assaulted the woman, who is in her 20s, in July when they were alone inside a bus parked in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward that was used for an on-location shoot. The woman consulted the police after the incident.

According to the sources, the woman said that she can never forgive Saito over the incident.

Yoshimoto Kogyo, Jungle Pocket's agency, said via its website a few hours after news of Saito's investigation broke that it has terminated its contract with the comedian.

"Today, after consulting with Saito, we have terminated his contract," the agency said. "We would like to offer our deepest apologies to the victim and all those involved."

In mid-September, the agency said Saito had been experiencing health issues and was even hospitalized, and that he requested a hiatus.
Jungle Pocket was formed in 2006.