A Hong Kong court on 13 August convicted Japanese pop star Kenshin Kamimura of indecent assault and imposed a HK$15,000 (US$1,900) fine, allowing the singer to avoid jail. Magistrate Peter Yu, sitting at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts, said Kamimura’s conduct showed “obvious disrespect towards women” and carried a clear sexual undertone. The 26-year-old former member of boy band ONE N’ ONLY was charged over an incident during a celebratory dinner after a fan event in early March. Prosecutors said he repeatedly brushed and patted the thigh of a woman hired as his interpreter and twice suggested she accompany him to the bathroom. The victim testified that she rejected the advances and moved away, but Kamimura approached her again and resumed the touching. Kamimura pleaded not guilty and chose not to testify. His lawyers argued that alcohol influenced his judgement and asked the court to impose a financial penalty rather than the statutory maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The magistrate noted that the performer had already faced professional repercussions: his management terminated his contract and he was dismissed from the group soon after his March arrest.