Obsessive Fan Stalks, Assaults Japanese Idol By Zooming in on Her Eyes
By Carl Samson
A Japanese “sasaeng” fan took stalking to a whole new level after finding the address of his favorite idol by zooming in on the reflection of her surroundings in her eyes.
Hibiki Sato, 26, started picking up clues from a train station reflected in J-pop star Ena Matsuoka’s eyes, which reportedly came from a photo that she had posted on social media.
Using Google Street View, Sato did not only figure out the road where Matsuoka’s building is, but he also estimated the floor she lives on based on her windows and the angle of the sunlight hitting her eyes.
On the night of Sept. 1, he pursued the 21-year-old idol as she arrived from a concert and reached the self-locking door of her home in Tokyo’s Kota Ward.
He then dragged her to a corner where he groped and injured her.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Sato on Sept. 17.
The unemployed man claimed to be a huge fan of Matsuoka — a member of the J-pop group Tenshi Tsukinukeni Yomi (天使突抜ニ読ミ) — and confessed to attacking her.
Sato, who lives in Saitama Prefecture, was charged with indecent assault resulting in injury.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time an obsessive fan has attacked an idol.
In 2016, Japan was forced to revise its anti-stalking laws after singer Mayu Tomita ended up being stabbed 60 times in the neck, chest and other parts of the body by a fan who apparently felt rejected.
Tomita, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is seeking part of 76 million yen (about $700,000) in damages from the police, whom she accuses of failing to guarantee her safety.
Images via TBS (Screenshot, Left) and Twitter / @matsuokaena (Right)
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