Obsessed fan "stalked" Japanese pop star's location by analysing her selfies
A Japanese man has been accused of stalking and sexually assaulting 21-year old popstar, Ena Matsuoka, by using her selfies to locate and track her. 26-year old Hibiko Sato was arrested in October of this year for indecent behaviour after the young woman was attacked when she was followed home.
Tokyo police described Sato as an "avid fan" of Ena, who is a member of the Japanese group Tenshi Tsukinukeni Yomi. Police said that Sato told them he zoomed in on selfies Ena had posted to social media to locate her, according to local reports. By analysing the reflection in her pupils, Sato was able to determine the station that she usually commuted from, and landmarks around where she lived, police claim.
Based on that information, he is then thought to have used Google street view to triangulate her apartment building. By poring through other images of the interior of her apartment and analysing the layout, the placement of the curtains and how light came through the windows accordingly, he was also able to determine which floor of that building she lived on, police said.
Sato allegedly then waited for her at the station she commuted through before following her home and attacking her, knocking her down from behind and covering her mouth with a piece of cloth. Police say he fled the scene quickly, but that he was picked up in CCTV cameras around the woman's home.
The case has caused Japanese media outlets and police services to reiterate the dangers of posting high resolution images online. Saying that even making the 'V' peace sign with your fingers can make it possible for cybercriminals to steal your fingerprints.
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