Police officer arrested for molesting woman at detention facility

URAYASU, Chiba -- A police officer has been arrested for molesting a woman who was being held at a police station's detention facility, officials said.

Kenji Nakamura, 26, a senior officer at Urayasu Police Station, stands accused of cruelty as a special public officer. He admitted to the allegations, local police said.

"I did it because I was in love with her," Nakamura was quoted as telling investigators during questioning.

The incident comes after Chiba Prefectural Police sent an investigation report to prosecutors on Oct. 26, accusing a 33-year-old officer of fondling the breasts of a woman who visited his police box in Matsudo.

Nakamura fondled the breasts and private parts of a 22-year-old woman detained at the police station's detention facility where he worked as a guard in mid-March this year, investigators said.

Nakamura continued to contact the woman after she was released shortly after the incident.

The incident came to light after the woman reported the abuse to the National Public Safety Commission in early November this year.

警官不祥事：留置場の女性へのわいせつ行為で逮捕…千葉
　留置場に拘置中の女性にわいせつ行為をしたとして、千葉県警刑事総務課は６日、同県浦安市高洲、浦安署巡査長、中村憲司容疑者（２６）を特別公務員暴行陵虐容疑で逮捕した。「好意を持っていたのでやった」と容疑を認めているという。

　調べでは、中村容疑者は警務課留置係だった３月１５日ごろ、浦安署の留置場に拘置されていた県内の無職女性（２２）の下半身や胸を触るなどした疑い。女性は直後に釈放されたが、中村容疑者は連絡をとり続けていたという。１１月５日に女性が国家公安委員会に被害を訴える投書をして発覚した。

　千葉県警は、交番に相談に来た女性の胸を触るなどしたとして、松戸署の巡査（３３）を１０月２６日に同容疑で書類送検したばかりだった。

　刑事総務課の前田弘司課長代理は「事件を捜査する立場なので何もコメントできない」と話した。【山本太一、斎藤有香】

Originally printed in Japanese on December 7, 2007