Man shared obscene images with train passengers via AirDrop

OSAKA (TR) – Osaka Prefectural Police have arrested a male company employee who used a file-sharing application to distribute obscene images to passengers inside a train car, reports the Yomiuri Shinbun (Aug. 16).

On the night of June 22, the employee, a 45-year-old resident of Wakayama Prefecture, allegedly used the smartphone app AirDrop to distribute obscene images to an unspecified number of persons inside a carriage of the Nankai Koya Line as it travelled between Osaka and Sakai cities.

The suspect, who has been accused of violating a public nuisance ordinance, admits to the allegations. “In sending obscene images, I wanted to see the gestures and facial expressions of women,” the suspect was quoted by the Sakai Police Station.

According to police, the suspect has said that he committed the same crime roughly two or three times per week since the end of last year.

Apple’s AirDrop allows users to share files, such as images, via Mac computers, smartphones and other devices through email or social-networking services. The app can distribute files between devices located within a roughly 10-meter radius. The app includes a function that allows for images to be received from any sender.