Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura convicted of indecent assault but avoids jail in Hong Kong

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HONG KONG (AP) — Japanese pop idol Kenshin Kamimura was found guilty of a charge of indecent assault on a female interpreter in a Hong Kong court Wednesday before some emotional fans.

Kamimura, a former member of a Japanese boy group named ONE N’ ONLY, was arrested in the southern Chinese city in March. In the same month, his contract was terminated due to a serious compliance violation. In April, he pleaded not guilty.

He allegedly touched the interpreter’s thigh repeatedly during a celebratory dinner at a restaurant.

During the trial last month, the interpreter testified through a live video link that Kamimura had invited her to a bathroom elsewhere. After she dismissed the request and told him she had a boyfriend, Kamimura continued to touch her thigh, she said.

The defense argued the interpreter exaggerated her claims and the alleged bathroom invitation might not have been based on improper motives.

Judge Peter Yu handed down the conviction Wednesday, saying Kamimura touched the intrepreter in a caressing nature that implicitly carried a sexual undertone and had indecent intent.

“The defendant’s acts are obviously disrespectful toward women,” Yu said. “Such behaviour should be condemned.”

In pleading for a lesser penalty, the defense said Kamimura previously had a promising future and paid a heavy price.

After the verdict was announced, a few of Kamimura's fans wept in the courtroom. But Kamimura looked relieved and hugged his courtroom translator when the judge issued a fine of 15,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $1,900) and no prison term. The maximum penalty for the charge is 10 years of imprisonment.

The singer's supporters, including some from Japan and mainland China, formed long lines inside the court building to secure a seat in the main courtroom before the hearing. After the hearing, they waited outside to see Kamimura, who did not speak before leaving in a car.

Others from mainland China who attended said they were not fans but wanted to learn more about the case, especially after seeing criticism of the female interpreter online.

University student Betty Zhong from the Chinese city of Shenzhen said she was not a Kamimura fan but attended the court hearings in Hong Kong because a friend likes the J-pop idol and she wanted to know what happened. She said she was surprised Kamimura was charged during a visit to Hong Kong.

“News reports are not so comprehensive. When I come here, I can understand it holistically and the explanations from both sides,” she said.

Kamimura also is an actor who appeared in several TV dramas including the boys’ love series “Our Youth” and the popular drama “Ossan’s Love Returns.”