Japan Football Association official jailed in child pornography case

Former Japan Football Association employee Masanaga Kageyama / Photo: Gerrit Van Keulen/Presse Sports/lequipe.fr

Japan Football Association (JFA) technical director Masanaga Kageyama has received a suspended prison sentence in France for possessing and viewing child sexual abuse material, L’Équipe reported.

Kageyama was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris while traveling to Chile for the Under-20 World Cup. According to Le Parisien, flight attendants reported seeing him view the material on his laptop during the flight.

In court, the 58-year-old admitted guilt and expressed regret, claiming he was unaware that such content was illegal in France.

Sentence

Kageyama was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence and fined €5,000 for importing, possessing, recording or storing images involving minors under 15. He was also banned from working with children and adolescents for 10 years.

The JFA announced that it had terminated his contract following the verdict.

Career

Kageyama had overseen programs to strengthen Japan’s national football teams, including coach training and youth player development.

A former defender in Japan’s top league from 1991 to 1996, he later managed several clubs before leading Japan’s Under-20 team in 2017. Under his leadership, Japan finished third at the 2018 AFC Under-19 Championship and qualified for the 2019 Under-20 World Cup.