Mahoto Watanabe, who yesterday announced marriage to Yui Imaizumi (formerly with Keyakizaka46), is involved in a scandal about him asking a 15-year-old girl for pornographic images.
It seems to have started when Watanabe posted on Instagram asking for a pic of a woman with cellophane tape wrapped around her chest, and the girl replied with a photo like that.
The conversation then moved from Instagram to YouTube, and he started to ask for more photos and videos, including some taken at school – the content of these gradually became more graphic and started to cause the girl concern. He also asked for her student id, though he already knew she was only 15.
Eventually it got too much for her, and the girl consulted with a friend who contacted Watanabe on Instagram, causing him concern and annoyance that their relationship may be exposed. The relationship then started to cool.
The girl contacted popular YouTuber Korekore who posted about it in a couple of vids, including screenshots of the schoolgirl’s conversations with Watanabe https://youtu.be/4JrdeKAQaIM. After talking with her parents the girl also contacted the police.
Online creator agency, UUUM, acted quickly and, after talking with Watanabe, announced that they had cancelled the contract of the YouTuber today because of what they described as “problematic acts”. They also said that Watanabe had contacted the police, and the agency offered their full co-operation in the investigation. https://www.uuum.co.jp/2021/01/22/58804
This is not the first time the rapper/YouTuber has been involved with the police. In June 2019, Watanabe was arrested for hitting and trampling on the face of his then girlfriend (a former idol) after an argument about him and another woman. His online and rapping career was suspended for several months after that incident.
Additional info from: https://logtube.jp/entertainment/91379 and https://www.tokyo-sports.co.jp/entame/news/2653884/
