This allowed people to easily access the internet, and contributed to the increase in online dating website users in Japan.
[3] Although 22 of these include crimes such as murder and rape, the vast majority are violations of laws dealing with the child pornography and the welfare of children.
[4] This number included 400 cases of minors soliciting sex online, which was triple the amount recorded in the previous year.
[4] As a result, in 2003, the National Diet passed the Law to Regulate Solicitation through Matching Business via Internet Sites.
Penalties for violations can result in varying degrees of punishment ranging from a fine of 100,000 yen and up to one year of imprisonment.