Cairns restaurant owner Seiichi Saeki jailed for raping teen

The owner of a popular Cairns family restaurant has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a teenager seven times before raping her.

O’Cha Cha Japanese Dining & Tea restaurant owner Seiichi Saeki.

The owner of a popular Cairns family restaurant has been sentenced for sexually assaulting a teenager seven times before raping her.

Cairns District Court heard that 47-year-old Seiichi Saeki, the owner of the now closed O’Cha Cha Japanese Dining & Tea on Lake Street, first assaulted the teenager when he came up behind her, turned her head towards him, and stroked her breasts as he gave “grotesque, suggestive praise” for almost half an hour.

On other occasions, he subjected her to increasingly depraved sexual conduct.

The Judge told Saeki he thought only of his “own sexual gratification” in a way that was “profoundly disrespectful.”

The offending continued; making up eight seperate incidents over 20 months.

Japanese-born Saeki and his wife bought O’Cha Cha Japanese Dining & Tea in 2014, the restaurant received an Australian Good Food Award Readers’ Choice Award in 2020 after becoming the only Queensland restaurant ever to receive a rare Japanese Government “authentic cuisine” accreditation award in 2018.

The victim said Saeki made her feel “dirty,” “scared,” and “alone.”

In her victim impact statement she said was worried nobody would believe her claims.

She said the assaults and rape had meant she had “lost trust in men,” led to have “constant suicidal thoughts,” and a “loss of enjoyment in life”.

“I find myself pushing people away so I can feel safe from harm,” the court heard.

The woman watched on with her father and aunt, and began crying several times during the sentencing hearing.

Saeki’s wife sat at the opposite end of the room — eyes either shut or downcast and fidgeting as the incidents were outlayed in considerable detail to the court.

Saeki pleaded guilty to seven charges of sexual assault and one count of rape.

He said he believed the teen was consenting but realised that he was mistaken.

Judge Dean Morzone KC told Saeki that he had an “honest but unreasonable belief” in the woman’s consent.

Mr Saeki was sentenced to four years and nine months, but will serve just 18 months after the judge decided to partially suspend it saying the man had shown “genuine remorse” over the incidents.

“It was mistaken because your presumptive arrogance,” he told the man.

“You acted pursuit of your own sexual gratification,” Judge Morzone said, in circumstances where there was a “clear power imbalance”.

He sentenced Saeki to four years and nine months in prison.

However, Judge Morzone then noted he believed Saeki was genuinely remorseful, that there was little chance that he would re-offend, had made efforts to rehabilitate himself, and had developed a major depressive disorder since the incident came to light.

He also said he noted that news of the offences was spread on Facebook — causing the O’Cha Cha restaurant to close its doors, and Saeki was now re-training for a new career.

Judge Morzone partially suspended Saeki’s sentence, so the man will spend just 18 months of the four year, nine month sentence in jail.

The former systems engineer from Toyama on Japan’s west coast had no criminal record and had not spent signficant time in custody; a police officer handcuffed him but gave him a chance to speak to his wife; they exchanged words then he kissed both her cheeks and bowed to her as he was led out of the court.

Originally published as Cairns restaurant owner Seiichi Saeki jailed for raping teen