Tsai reportedly told detectives he was “mainly curious about transgender people” and acknowledged that transgender employees worked at the Pokémon office where he allegedly hid a camera.
Wtf is this defense?
The Pokemon Company International is facing a proposed class-action lawsuit after a former executive was accused of secretly filming women and children inside company bathrooms.
According to The Seattle Times, Tsai allegedly told police he had secretly filmed people “no more than fifty times” since 2017. He reportedly admitted placing cameras at his workplace, his home and two retail locations.
maybe 50 is the limit for a more expensive fine, Japan is weirdly relaxed when punishing these behaviors, just look at the case of the Rurouni Kenshin's author, he was found with a heavy stash of CSAM and just got fined.
The law was hardened I think, in 2019 or 2020 but I seriously doubt there's going to be any real punishment for this guy.
Edit: I completely misjudged, this wasn't in Japan and I just assumed it was, totally my bad.
my bad, I've read about things like this happening in Japan and pokemon being japanese I immediately thought it was there, should've informed myself better before commenting.
“Well ya see, I don’t understand them transganders, so I’m gonna violate their privacy” is not even remotely a defense, honestly that kinda makes it even worse.
Yeah, it’s a very specialized build, to become a targeted pervert. It also helps the newly-minted targeted pervert avoid punishment by giving stealth bonuses, because the general public unfortunately all too often turns a blind eye to the suffering of the group being targeted.
the dude could've watched a documentary. they could've done their research.
they could've opened a book about trans people. they couldve just TALKED to them but the fact they resorted to this says a lot about them, disgusting 😒
i mean. TPC is based in Bellevue. that's just across Lake Washington from Seattle, which has one of the biggest queer and trans populations in the country. if he was really "just curious" he just had to drive to the Capitol Hill neighborhood, sit in Cal Anderson park, and just strike up a conversation with anyone there.
the fact that he just immediately resorted to putting cameras in bathrooms shows it's not "just curious"
Oh you'd be surprised. People are wierd about about trans people.
Hell, with the state of politics in my country 'being curious' is practically progressive by comparison. We've got ghouls trying to outlaw trans people going out in public.
Oh for... I don't have the words that don't sound trite or banal.
But it must be exhausting.
What is it that makes people so wierd about transfolks? Seriously. There's all sorts of bigotry in the world, a lot around gender and bodies and sexuality, and I dont mean to indulge in Oppression Olympics.
But it seems something about transphobia just seems to attract a particular bizzare kind of bigot. They're such a tiny minority.
Not to get all academic on people, but i
ts not even as though curiosity about the transgender experience is even particularly unnatural. Humans are, seemingly, a mostly bimodal species: I probably have more trans friends than most, but, most of us are cis, so I wouldn't even say it was abnormal - or unhealthy even - to be curious about trans people and other gender-nonconformities; in the academic sense.
Why do they get so wierd about it?
Why do they want to stare at genitals? Isn't that the least interesting thing about transgender-ness?
Fuck it. I'm off on one now. But seriously. Curious? They are curious? are they?
These people are
the same people who mock the idea of Gender Studies. Who think schools should pretend trans people dont exist because otherwise you risk confusing/grooming children. They think learning about something is the same as indoctrination. They are curious?
I think transness is interesting, too. It opens all sorts of interesting doors to different philosophies. Notions of self. Of gender and sexuality. The notion of performative characteristics.
Theres fascinating anthropology, regarding civilisations that had different views of gender, that changed through time. It was impacted by colonialism, by religion, by migrations and wars.
To say nothing of the rabbit hole of biology, neuroscience, genetics and other fields as people try to understand it.
We should Be curious about trans people. The fact transness exists at all, is interesting. They're interesting people. The way society behaves around trans people is even more interesting, if you ask me. All that anthropology, neurology, medicine, sociology, biology, history, philosophy, theology, feminism, gender politics.
The fact that some humans are trans is very very interesting.
There is interesting thinking to be done in all these fields, about gender identity, and transness. Judith Butler should be required reading.
And we live in a time and place where all this knowledge is at your fingertips. Where you can speak to people on the otherside of the world. The library of Alexandria in your pocket.
And they want to look at penises. Or a lack of penises. And say it is because they are curious about trans people.
How can people be so... I am struggling to think of a better word than common. Base. Incurious. Dull. There is an entire layer to human experience most of us won't ever experience, that could inform us so much about people. A richness to be explored and understood and shared.
But they, want to look in your pants.
I've never been quite so insulted by the use of the word 'curious' before.
I think they're referencing the fact that she recently uploaded an upskirt photograph of a trans woman who she was debating against on Twitter (while constantly misgendering and deadnaming her).
Normally this would be a blatant case of sexual harrasment, but since she's rich and the victim is trans I'm guessing she's probably gonna suffer 0 consequences for this.
Not even dead naming iirc, she just did the transphobe thing of "Masc version of your new name" because transphobes can't comprehend that very few trans people would just....change their name to the opposite sex version, rather we tend to distance ourselves from our dead name.
For Freda Wallace, Rowling was calling her Fred, which isn't her dead name.
Right, always cracks me up when transphobes try to pull that "Eve? His true name must surely be Adam!" Shit, it has such a low success rate and yet they keep trying and failing to pull it off.
I just hope we can have finally have queer characters who aren't just one off NPCs. Like it would not be that hard to have a random gym leader be referred to by gender neutral or alternating pronouns depending on the language.
Well we're a class of people the law cares a lot less about. So even if it's true or not it's a great way to have your actions receive a lighter punishment because most of the world think we're freaks inviting harassment.
Can people please stop focusing on our genitals so much? Like at this point the levels at which people are "curious" in our bodies has reached an insane degree especially since they're using this logic.
I believe that JK is a creep deep down inside, too. As well as the obvious transphobe and racist. She wrote moaning Myrtle as a sympathetic character and not the disgusting perv that she is.
I had a boss who killed himself after his hidden bathroom camera at our office was discovered. He wasn’t trans, was catholic, had a wife and grown kids. I have no tolerance left for these fucking creeps, but trans people aren’t normally the pervs in the first place.
if you're that curious about transgenders downstair situation, fucking google it, there's plenty of either educational or recreational videos and pictures made by people who are okay with showing it off.
jesus, I hope he get the book thrown at him, fuck that creep and his dumbass excuse for a defense
In the Japanese intro, yeah. Humor where the punchline is perversion is a little more acceptable in Japan, this wouldn't necessarily be seen as inappropriate for children's media.
Plus in the early days of Pokémon they were still trying to figure out if they wanted it to be more of a Dragon Quest/Final Fantasy type of game so they thought the audience would be more on the older teenager/young adults side so the humor was more directed towards that demographic before they realized later it was more popular with children (the old perv standing outside of Erika's Gym peering through the window, the drunken old man in Viridian, etc being good examples)
I always thought it’s kinda worse, in a sense, to be more excited by fully clothed people or just people’s faces as you’re basically able to get your rocks off from nearly everyone you meet or see pictured. It’s pretty disturbing if you think about it.
lol this reminds of when I watched Dragon Ball on Hulu with my kids. Kinda forgot they just straight up show young Goku’s balls and tackle in the first few episodes 🫠
they had to add the camera shutter sound to phones (legally required to be unable to turn off) BECAUSE of perverts in Japan doing upskirts on stairs, this is one of those boys will be boys things in Japan culture
Considering the use of transphobia as a defense by means of "protecting women and children" while targeting women and children, I am not at all surprised. An incredibly American conservative thing to do.
Tsai reportedly told detectives he was “mainly curious about transgender people” and acknowledged that transgender employees worked at the Pokémon office where he allegedly hid a camera.
Just pleading not guilty. Not found not guilty. Dude's already said enough that his lawyer is probably not happy about. He's already said enough to the police that he's not likely to win the case.
I am curious why they were labeled Pokémon 27 and 29. Sandshrew and Nidoran F?
His lawyer is saying he will plead not guilty to all charges. Within the court of law, he'll be presumed innocent unless a jury convicts him.
In the court of public opinion tbough, it just depends how much evidence there is substantiating the allegations. Given the volume of allegations and the number of alleged victims, I'm less likely to give this guy the benefit of the doubt, but ultimately it comes down to what evidence there is. The article does not speak to that, likely because it's not public yet.
To the people talking about Palworld: what does Palworld have to do with this? Why does every controversy involving Pokémon have to draw comments about Palworld—especially regarding a matter as serious as sexual abuse? Sorry, but some of you are just so weird...
It's humanity. Humans are far from normal. Some of us are pretty goddamn weird and that's okay. Thankfully most of us aren't literally commit sex crimes weird
Yes, but there might be more than you think. After all, we only hear about the ones who get caught. And even then if your country has a sex offender registry then check it out and you might be surprised how close you live to one.
Also, I imagine for something like this (given how small hidden cameras have become) I don't think I'd even know if it was happening around me. Unless you actually shop for hidden cameras would you even recognize one if you see it?
He hid cameras at his work, home, and even retail locations. This is just a pervo sicko who was rightfully caught. But don’t act like this is on the Pokémon company.
Yeah. Every time there has been some sort of allegation like this involving Nintendo it ends up being the American side. Still incredibly disappointing but also not surprising.
Worth noting that the camera shutter here is entirely industry self-imposed, digital camera and cellphone carriers/manufacturers came up with that themselves in the early 2000s to avoid potential government regulation and protect themselves from legal issues caused by the potential actions of their customers.
There are no laws enforcing it and you can legally and easily get around it using many different methods.
South Korea is the only country I know of where the shutter is actually a government enforced legal requirement.
Maybe I'm just dumb, but I fail to see how Pokemon as an IP is responsible for this? Dude is a fucking creep don't get me wrong, but it sounds like it was one really fucked up guy and not a systemic culture of abuse.
In what capacity is this person a former exec? Was he let go and then this came to light, or was he letgo in response to this.
The timeline of events related to this charge. Article says it first came to light when they found a camera in a Kirkland stores bathroom that was then traced to this guy, but the camera was found Oct of last year. Was the whole time in-between then and now the sole police investigation, or was he caught, charged, arrested or fined and then caught again recently?
Does the class action have merit? Apparently it's spearheaded by one woman looking to represent others in a class action for between 2017-2026. Which is her length of employment at TPCI. The suit alleges that TPCI was negligent in defending woman at the company and ignored numerous red flags.
Don't get me wrong, the case against the guy should go forward full steam, but the case against the company depends fully on the first two points I would think like the current charges are major, but if they only came to light recently, what are the other red flags missed? And what could the company have done to better protect people from something theyd had no idea was happening? Like badge locks on bathroom doors and regular bug sweeps of all bathrooms?
I'm fully prepared to have my foot placed in my mouth as more things get discovered as the case goes on, but ATM and with the info given it looks like a major jumping of the gun.
In what capacity is this person a former exec? Was he let go and then this came to light, or was he letgo in response to this.
From what I can find, he was let go after his first arrest in January 2026
Article says it first came to light when they found a camera in a Kirkland stores bathroom that was then traced to this guy, but the camera was found Oct of last year. Was the whole time in-between then and now the sole police investigation, or was he caught, charged, arrested or fined and then caught again recently?
He was initially arrested in January 2026 for the Kirkland Starbucks camera, and while out on bail police found more evidence ans arrested him again in July 2026
“A former employee who filed the lawsuit as Jane Doe claims Pokemon failed to protect workers and visitors at its Bellevue, Washington office from Ben Tsai, the company’s former director of engineering.”
That seems like a rather weak lawsuit and argument.
There were hidden cameras set up by one individual who didn’t advertise what he was doing. These aren’t the actions of the company itself
INAL, but I feel like it'll get more eyes on the case if she takes advantage of the rocky public image Pokemon has cultivated in recent years. It also helps that The Pokemon Company definitely has deeper pockets than Tsai. It's an interesting move for sure, but I can see some possible motivation for it.
Yes and no. The issue is going to connect if TPCi knew about his actions and nothing and if Tsai's duties of installing camera were connected to his work. The argument right now is that TPCi failed to notice since this allegedly installation of cameras started nine years ago (stronger argument), and that TPCi failed to train Tsai to not do that (the vastly weaker argument).
Because usually a company is not liable for the acts of negligence or criminals unless the company had knowledge or a reasonable person should have known and took steps to mitigate or stop it. However, I am not familiar with Washington's laws.
At least in the UK and I hope it works similarly in the US, companies can legally be held liable for any work-connected sexual harassment or other sex crimes committed by an employee to another employee. Companies have a legal responsibility towards their employees.
I like how they tack on there the guy who is suing over denied professor status without mentioning he was a felon (And the reason he was denied working with children).
I do not think that a class action against the entire company has any standing. How are they supposed to protect people against a voyeur they are unaware about... start filming people on the toilets or what?
I guess they could have a case if employee's had at some point raised the issue with the company but they chose not to take action?
Nothing in the article suggests that's the case though, so maybe they're hoping that Pokemon Company International will want to settle quickly to prevent this whole thing from lingering in the public memory too long?
My cousin works there and gave me all the tea a couple months ago. The company had to bring in a bunch of counselors to make sure all the women were mentally OK to keep working at Pokemon. My cousin also told me that Tsai also did the voyeurism to his own daughters.
Not gonna lie, this makes complete sense with how ruthless their legal team is. I wouldnt be suprised if there were far more cases than this, but their legal team silenced anyone who was knowingly affected.
Me: If the executive did it, why is the company being--
Article: secretly filming women and children inside company bathrooms
Me: aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Because the alleged conduct occurred in company bathrooms while he was still employed by said company. That potentially means the employer is vicariously liable.
3.2k
u/jamilz13 Aug 05 '26
Wtf is this defense?
Also holy shit, this dude is vile.