Yoshitomo Kaneda Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Aspiring Teen Performer

By Dennis Romero Fri., Jan. 4 2013 at 3:18 PM

Yoshitomo Kaneda / Facebook

Yoshitomo Kaneda, a talent agent and actor who has appeared in Letters From Iwojima, Collateral and ER, was convicted of six counts of sexual abuse for molesting a 16-year-old aspiring performer he had taken under his wing, the L.A. City Attorney's office said today.

When charges were announced against Kaneda in spring, prosecutors stated that he molested and "abused" her while conducting Japanese language lessons in his apartment. He ...

... sexually abused an aspiring model, who was attending his acting/modeling school, after taking her to his apartment to teach her Japanese. At his apartment, Mr. Kaneda allegedly gave the victim a massage and sexually molested her. Following the alleged incident, Mr. Kaneda allegedly left several incriminating voice messages on the voice mails of both the mother and manager of the victim.

Today the office said that Kaneda admitted to the abuse:

Following the incident, Kaneda left several apologetic messages on the mother's voice mail which assisted in securing his conviction.

Authorities said it happened on Feb. 22 of last year.

They say the 45-year-old had an acting and modeling "school" at his apartment. Kaneda also stated on his website that he teaches karate.

He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and must now register as a sex offender, prosecutors said. He also is forbidden from contacting the victim.

His charges included "sexual battery, child molestation, penetration with a foreign object, false imprisonment, and witness intimidation," according to the City Attorney's office.

L.A. City Attorney Carmen Trutanich:

We will not tolerate criminals who use the lure of fame and fortune under a cloak of trust to prey upon the innocence of young women. Children and young people must be protected from such predators who, seek out some of the most vulnerable among us.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

Tags:

actor, molestation, sex crimes, teen. girl

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Leonard

@jegonus

Are you Asian? You seem like someone who is just sticking up for this guy because he is Asian just like you.

A sixteen year old is a child and it doesn't seem like anything he did to her was consensual. He is a pedophile who sexually abused her and even admitted it himself. Even worse was the "penetration with a foreign object" and "witness intimidation." He is lucky this happened in California and got off easy.

And for you to write: "I'm sure she realized that he didn't have the pull she thought he had and retaliated after giving consent, which she is certainly capable of. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Waste of our tax dollars. And another actor blacklisted. Dumb." just shows everyone what kind of ignorant, mentally sick piece of shit you are. How the fuck can she be "certainly capable of giving consent" when she is a MINOR dumbass?

The world would be a better place without perverse, sociopathic assholes like you and your buddy "J-W."

FlotsamSam

@Leonard - You do realize that in California, one can get an abortion without parental consent? So your assertion "A sixteen year old is a child..." certainly is an odd thing. She is old enough to get an abortion without parental notification, but not old enough to give consent to having sex with an adult. Ah, California... such a Utopia where everything makes sense. Even the citizens that vote for this shit make sense too! It must be wonderful to be perfect. See what happens when liberals make the rules? They form them only to fit their agenda, whether it makes sense or not. Lovely, just lovely. The world would be a better place without all these perverse, selective laws.

farleydave3

@FlotsamSam What "Liberal Agenda" is it that sets the age of consent to 16?? There's no argument here. A 46 year old man should be the responsible one. Even if the girl had initiated it, I think ever grown-adult-male over a certain age is aware, that it is the responsibility of the older party to not engage in sexual activity with A MINOR!!!

jegonus

1 Like

Child abuse? Ridiculous. She's sixteen! Many "children" that age are married and having kids throughout the world. I'm sure she realized that he didn't have the pull she thought he had and retaliated after giving consent, which she is certainly capable of. Dumb, dumb, dumb. Waste of our tax dollars. And another actor blacklisted. Dumb.

J__W

2 Like

Riiiiight.... a 16 year old young woman intent on becoming the next Hollywood starlet can only be a mindless drone / innocent angel without any decision making capabilities. Clearly a victim whose innocence was stolen and whose life is ruined. How about saying 'no'? Never mind that 14 year olds get prosecuted as adults and sentenced to life in adult prison.

An Age of Consent of 18 is a joke. No other civilized country in the world has this. Most US states do not.

Oh well, another addition to the Sex Offender Registry for life. I feel so much safer now.

Leonard

@J__W

I think it is impossible for anyone to have any kind rational dialogue with someone like you. You clearly condone what Yoshitomo Kaneda did, and you clearly are a sociopath and most likely a pedophile as well. I really wish you and your buddy "jegonus" were never born.