Man Sentenced to Twenty Years for Secretly Filming Underage Girls at Local Parks

Madison and Rankin Counties’ District Attorney Bubba Bramlett announced today that Satoshi Maehata, 27, pled guilty to two counts of filming a child under the age 16 without permission where there was an expectation of privacy. He was sentenced to ten years to serve on each count, with those terms to be served consecutive to one another for a total of twenty years in prison. He will also have to register as a sex offender when he is released. 

Madison and Ridgeland Police Departments received several complaints involving a man at Liberty Park and the Renaissance offering snacks to young girls in exchange for hugs. Investigators with MPD began doing surveillance at Liberty Park and located the individual matching the suspect’s description. The suspect gave consent to search his car where agents found a small camera disguised as a pen along with various candy and snacks. 

Investigators interviewed Maehata and he admitted to having inappropriate videos that he took of underage girls on his computer. Officers performed a forensic examination of the computer and located multiple clips that appeared to show footage of females taken from under their skirts at both Liberty Park and Renaissance. 

District Attorney Bramlett stated, “The facts of this case are vile and unacceptable. Our daughters should not have to worry about someone filming under their skirts while they are at the local park or standing in line to get a smoothie. Unfortunately, we must teach our children to always be vigilant of what is happening around them and to always report suspicious behavior. I want to thank the MPD and RPD investigators for their dedication to solving this case and ensuring this man will not be able to violate women in our community for a long time.” 

Defendant: 

Name: Satoshi Robert Maehata 

DOB: 11/18/1997