A court sentenced a 44-year-old YouTube content creator in the city of Oita to two years in prison on Thursday for assaulting and confining his wife at their home after he found she had been posting defamatory comments on videos he had uploaded.
The Oita District Court ruled that Ryoma Katori seriously injured his wife in March by punching and kicking her in the face while she was confined in their apartment in Oita with her wrists and ankles bound with adhesive tape.
In handing down the sentence, which was not suspended, Judge Sadahiro Ariga said the defendant's act "should be strongly criticized as he committed the crime after losing his temper."
According to a defense lawyer, Katori had been trying for more than six months to find out who had been posting negative comments, including "stupid" and "bald," on his online videos. In March he realized it was his wife as she had requested a friend to post similar comments.
Prosecutors had said the accused earned money by posting YouTube videos of sightseeing spots and restaurants in Oita Prefecture.