CHILD PORNOGRAPHY: MEETING BETWEEN DIET MEMBER

UNCLAS TOKYO 001911 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV KCRM KOCI JA SUBJECT: CHILD PORNOGRAPHY: MEETING BETWEEN DIET MEMBER MORIYAMA AND FBI EAD MASON ¶1. (SBU) Changing Japan's child pornography laws to criminalize possession would significantly improve international law enforcement authorities' ability to work together on investigations, FBI Executive Assistant Director for Criminal Investigations Michael Mason told Liberal Democratic Party Diet Member Mayumi Moriyama during an April 25 meeting. ¶2. (SBU) Mason explained that the advent of the internet has allowed criminals to operate using techniques that obstruct investigation, such as living in one country, getting financing in another country, and producing/providing illegal goods in a third country, explained EAD Mason. In order to effectively cooperate in combating child pornography, which is often produced in countries other than the United States or Japan, commonality of laws is critical. The United States is very grateful for the broad cooperation it receives from Japan in other criminal investigations, Mason emphasized, calling Japan a "cherished partner" in international law enforcement. The United States also appreciates Moriyama's hard work in driving the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to completion, added Embassy Legal Attache Larry Futa. ¶3. (SBU) Mason asked if there was any movement in the Diet on revising child pornography legislation, calling it a "growth area" for U.S.-Japan law enforcement cooperation. There will be no change to child pornography legislation before the July 22, 2007 Upper House election, replied Moriyama. When the child pornography law was originally passed in 1999, the effect of the internet was not taken into consideration. In addition to images that violate the human rights of living children, comics and cartoons depicting sexual crimes against children are also spreading widely in Japan. There are Diet members who would like to criminalize the possession of child pornography, but they do not have a clear strategy and are too busy preparing for the upcoming elections, Moriyama explained. DONOVAN