HONG KONG- A Japanese IT manager has been jailed and fined in Hong Kong (HKG) after unlawfully taking upskirt photos of cabin crew on a Cathay Pacific (CX) flight.
The offence occurred during a stopover in Hong Kong, with the court rejecting claims that the images were taken by accident.
Cathay Pacific Passenger Jailed
The Hong Kong court sentenced Onishi Ryu, 46, to four weeks in prison and imposed a fine of HK$10,000 after he pleaded guilty to unlawfully recording a woman’s intimate parts.
The incident took place on November 24, 2025, during the first leg of a journey from Japan to India via Hong Kong.
Onishi was seated by the window and initially appeared to be photographing scenery outside the aircraft.
A male passenger seated behind him observed that the phone camera was aimed at the lower bodies of two Cathay Pacific flight attendants. The observer alerted the crew after noticing the phone’s position and the unusual framing.
Passenger Alert Leads to Discovery of Deleted Images
After being confronted, Onishi was seen deleting an image from his device. A review of his recently deleted photo folder revealed five to six photos taken from behind the flight attendants. Police later confirmed that one image was a zoomed-in upskirt photograph.
The two affected crew members were a 37-year-old South Korean woman and a 26-year-old Taiwanese woman.
Both were performing routine cabin duties at the time of the incident. The court noted that the images were intentionally framed and could not be explained as incidental photography.
Defense Argument Rejected by the Court
During questioning, Onishi claimed he was photographing the view of Hong Kong during landing. He maintained that the upskirt image was taken unintentionally.
The court rejected this explanation, describing his actions as opportunistic rather than accidental.
In mitigation, the defense cited his lack of prior criminal history and family responsibilities, including caring for elderly parents. The court acknowledged these factors but ruled that the seriousness of the offence warranted a custodial sentence.
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