New Name Emerges in the Case of Two American Men Held In Japan on Sexual Assault Charges

Two members of the entourage of Ai (Ai Carina Uemura), a popular Japanese singer who is signed with EMI Music Japan, continue to be held in Tokyo after the murder of an Irish exchange student on May 24, 2012 after she and her friend attended a Nicki Minaj concert. Twenty-three year old James Blackston, is a dancer who performed with Ai the night before the murder as part of the AIndependent Tour. The second person being held is a 19 year old musician also part of the entourage. His name is not being released because under Japanese law he is a minor. He was previously identified in the media and in this blog as Larry Perry. However, local Memphis stations are now reporting that the 19 year old is Richard Hinds.    Edit in Red: The newly reported suspect Richard Hinds is a keyboardist from Memphis. He has an older brother who is also a musician. Some reports indicate that both brothers were on the tour. One reporter spoke with their musical mentor who claims that both boys are good kids who were excited about the trip to Japan.The 19 year old was found standing next to the body of Nicola when security went to check out a noise complaint.  Blackston and the woman who was groped in a taxi were in another room at the time the body was found.

Two have been charged with “waisetsu-zai ” which is a sex crime that involves drugging someone and then groping them while they are too drugged to defend themselves. It is believed that the victim of the current charges was not the murder victim, Nicola Furlong, but her friend that she attended the concert with. So far it appears that neither of the two being held have been charged with the death of Nicola. For details of the events of the evening, click here. 

Blackston is pictured at left signing a shoe for a Japanese student. He was teaching dance in a local school on May 21. You can see video of Blackston dancing on a Japanese train here.Nicola was buried in her Irish hometown last Sunday. Today, her father has flown to Tokyo in search of answers with regard to Nicola’s murder. It is expected based on Japanese laws, that formal charges could be filed within the next week. Japanese prosecutors have a notoriously high conviction rate because the meticulously build their cases before formally bringing charges.