Japan boyband agency admits founder's sexual abuse for first time

Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates held a news conference in Tokyo on Thursday. This is the agency's first time to address the media since a number of men alleged they were sexually abused by the late Johnny Kitagawa when they were minors.

Kitagawa died in 2019. It follows a report by a third-party panel which said the agency's founder and former president sexually abused minors for many years. The expert panel's report released on August 29 was based on interviews with 41 individuals, including victims and staff.

It said the team confirmed that Kitagawa sexually abused a large number of boys for years. Most of them were backup dancers who were waiting to make their debuts. The panel determined that the sexual abuse was allowed to continue for so long in part because Johnny & Associates is a family-run business. It said founders of this type of company can become untouchable and nobody else can stop them if they commit illegal acts.