Japanese Football Official Sentenced in France for Viewing Child Pornography on Plane

Masanaga Kageyama, the technical director of the Japanese Football Association, was sentenced in France to an 18-month suspended jail term and fined 5,000 euros after being caught viewing child pornography on a flight to Chile. The offense was discovered by the plane's flight crew during a stopover at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, leading to his arrest. His sentence also includes a 10-year ban on working with minors and a decade-long ban on returning to France, and he will be registered on the French national sex offenders' list. Kageyama, a former professional J-League footballer and coach for various youth national teams, claimed the images were AI-generated and expressed shame during his court appearance. He was released after his hearing but will be immediately dismissed by the Japanese Football Association. His role involved strengthening Japan's football teams and educating coaches and youth players.