Hollywood talent scout gets 6 months in jail for sex abuse of girl
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A Hollywood talent scout convicted of sexually abusing a girl has been sentenced to 180 days in jail and must register as a sex offender for life, Los Angeles city prosecutors said Friday.
Yoshitomo Kaneda, 45, was sentenced Thursday after being convicted of six counts of sexual abuse involving a 16-year-old aspiring model and actress.
“We will not tolerate criminals who use the lure of fame and fortune under a cloak of trust to prey upon the innocence of young women,” City Attorney Carmen Trutanich said in a statement. “Children and young people must be protected from such predators, who seek out some of the most vulnerable among us.”
Prosecutors said Kaneda was convicted of charges that included sexual battery, child molestation, penetration with a foreign object, false imprisonment and witness intimidation. In addition, he was served with a court order prohibiting any contact with the victim.
Kaneda, who also works as an actor and stuntman, was convicted on charges related to a February 2012 incident when he sexually abused the 16-year-old, who was attending his acting and modeling school, according to prosecutors.
According to Deputy City Atty. Lara Schwartz, Kaneda took the girl to his apartment to teach her Japanese and then gave her ‘a massage and sexually molested her.’ Following the incident, Kaneda left several apologetic messages on the mother’s voice mail, which prosecutors used in obtaining a conviction.
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-- Richard Winton
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