jpnmanarrest

Is this guy a creepy predator or just an unlucky, good Samaritan?

A Japanese man was taken into custody by police officials for taking a four-year-old girl from the park where she was playing to a convenience store bathroom about 100 meters (roughtly 109.3 yards) away to change her diaper.

The incident took place in Tokyo’s Adachi district, where the man in question, 38 years of age and unemployed, insisted that he was just trying to help the little girl and that he didn’t have any malicious intentions. According to news reports,the man told police that the child was crying out “Toilet! Toilet!”, which prompted him to pick her up and carry her over to a nearby Family Mart. At the convenience store, he bought diapers and changed her in the bathroom.

It would appear that the man is being held in custody until authorities conclude their investigation into the matter, but so far netizens seem divided about whether the matter should be a prosecutable offense or not.

“Can you really get arrested for this kind of thing?”
“Why would a four-year old need diapers?”
“They probably arrested him because he was unemployed.”
“He should have known better. Where were the parents, though?”
“What kind of world do we live in now where people can have their name dragged through the mud for something like this.”
“I mean if the parents aren’t around, what are you gonna do?”
“If you truly believe anyone changing the diaper of a little girl they don’t know is a ‘nice guy,’ you deserve the death penalty.”
“Perhaps that last one is a little harsh, but something does seem really off about the whole situation.”

Even though situations where a young child really needs to use the bathroom can soon turn messy if not dealt with quickly, as long as the kid isn’t in poo-flinging distance, it’s probably best to let the parents handle it. Especially if you’re not at the very least a family friend.

Source: TBS Newsi via 2 Channel Itai News, YouTube/Midori Shiotani
Feature/top image: YouTube/Midori Shiotani