Masanaga Kageyama, a top figure in Japanese football, has been sentenced to an 18-month suspended jail term in France for possessing child pornography. The 58-year-old, who serves as the technical director of the Japanese Football Association, was caught viewing the disturbing content during an international flight.
According to French prosecutors, Kageyama was on board an Air France flight, likely heading to the Under-20 World Cup in Chile, when flight attendants noticed him viewing inappropriate images on his laptop while seated in business class. Alarmed by what they saw, the crew immediately reported him.
He was arrested during a stopover at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and held in custody over the weekend before appearing in court on Monday.
The court in Bobigny, north of Paris, found him guilty of importing, possessing, recording, or saving pornographic images involving minors under 15 years old. In addition to the suspended sentence, Kageyama was fined €5,000 (around $5,830).
His punishment also includes a 10-year ban from working with minors and a decade-long ban from entering France. He has also been added to France’s national sex offenders’ registry.
During the court hearing, Kageyama reportedly admitted to viewing the images but claimed he didn’t know it was illegal in France. He also insisted the images were artificially generated and said he was ashamed of his actions.
Despite his attempts to explain, the court took the matter seriously given the nature of the content and his high-profile role in youth sports.
Kageyama has long been a key figure in Japanese football, overseeing the development of young talent and shaping the future of the country’s national teams. A former professional player and coach, he has led Japan’s under-18, under-19, and under-20 teams.
This case has sent shockwaves through the football world, raising serious questions about background checks and safeguarding, especially when it involves officials working with minors.
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