A former officer of the Kanagawa Prefectural Police was sentenced Friday to 2 1/2 years in prison for groping a 10-year-old girl last year.
According to the ruling handed down by the Yokohama District Court, 54-year-old Takayuki Kocho laid the girl down and touched her body beneath her clothing at her home in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, on May 19.
Kocho, who was an inspector at the Sagamihara Police Station at the time of the incident, was dating the girl's mother.
Kocho admitted his guilt in his first trial session in October. He later insisted he was innocent, however, stating that he had never intended to commit an indecent act.