Japan introduced laws in 2023 criminalizing “photo voyeurism,” which prohibits acts like upskirting. But despite the new legislation, it remains one of the country’s most common sex offenses.

2025 was a record year for arrests involving voyeurism charges, in part because of the new laws that extended the scope of crimes. However, a disturbing report from CNN suggests offenders are younger than ever.

According to police data cited by CNN, voyeurism among minors has surged exponentially in the last couple of years. The news media platform says that it has seen evidence of middle or junior high school children touting child sexual abuse material on messaging apps like Telegram and Discord.

“I was shocked to learn this was happening in schools,” Sumire Nagamori, a cybersecurity expert and child rights activist, tells CNN. “The perpetrator can be a classmate, and the images can end up online.”

“Young children are gaining access to digital devices before they are taught ethics or digital literacy,” Nagamori continues. “Before they can distinguish right from wrong, they already have tools that can be used to harm others.”

CNN spoke to a Japanese psychotherapist who sees people sent from courts who have been convicted of voyeurism charges. She confirms that more and more of those people are younger.

“When I opened this clinic 15 years ago, most of my clients were middle-aged men,” Daisuke Nakamura tells CNN. “Now, I see more junior high school, high school and university students. My youngest clients are 13 or 14 years old, and occasionally elementary school students come in.”

Children in the 2020s have largely unfettered access to any kind of content they can imagine — a disturbing development. It has led to widespread concern over areas like the manosphere and has prompted governments to take action. Just last week, the U.K. banned under-16s from holding a social media account, including YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram.

In Japan, smartphones sold in the country must make a sound when a photo is taken to combat upskirting. Earlier this month, Japan’s top beach volleyball competition banned all photography after players raised concerns about voyeuristic and “inappropriate” images being taken during matches.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

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