Two members of the Nippon University Third High School (Nichidai San-ko) baseball team were formally referred to prosecutors on Thursday, February 12, 2026, on suspicion of violating the Child Obscenity Prohibition Law, according to police officials. The charges relate to the alleged solicitation and distribution of obscene videos featuring a female acquaintance.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s Juvenile Division alleges that a 17-year-old student requested the girl to send him lewd videos between March and June of 2025, and subsequently shared one of those videos with a 16-year-old teammate. The 16-year-old is then accused of forwarding the video to other members of the baseball team between May and October of the same year. Police indicate the video was circulated among dozens of team members.
Investigators began looking into the matter after the girl’s parents contacted the police in October 2025, expressing concern about the potential spread of the videos. The investigation revealed that multiple images and videos were exchanged, and that the distribution extended beyond the initial recipients.
Both students reportedly admitted to wrongdoing during questioning, with the 17-year-old stating he “did something he shouldn’t have,” and the 16-year-old describing his actions as “reckless,” according to police sources.
Nichidai San-ko is a nationally recognized high school baseball powerhouse, having made 40 appearances in the National High School Baseball Championship (Koshien) tournament, including finishing as runners-up in the summer tournament last year. The school released a statement indicating it intends to address the situation with “care and guidance” for the students involved, but stated it has no plans to hold a press conference. The school also indicated that future team activities are “under consideration.”
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of conduct within Japanese high school sports programs, following recent controversies involving other schools. The Japan High School Baseball Federation recently revised its reporting requirements for misconduct, reportedly in response to previous incidents.
