Buddha Maitreya: Monk jailed for sex offences

Police said Buddha Maitreya made multiple television appearances

A Buddhist monk has been jailed for two years after admitting indecently assaulting two 12-year-old girls.

Buddha Maitreya, who was born Koji Takeuchi, pleaded guilty to charges relating to offences in Nottinghamshire and Brighton.

The 82-year-old was jailed for a similar offence in 2020, prompting other victims to come forward.

He pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault at Hove Crown Court on 21 September.

The monk rose to prominence as the owner of the Pure Land meditation centre and Japanese garden in North Clifton, Nottinghamshire, and had featured in a number of television programmes prior to his arrest.

Judge Jeremy Gold QC said Takeuchi had abused a position of trust in order to carry out the offences.

The first two charges were relating to a girl who lived in Brighton during the 1970s.

He also admitted indecent assault on a then 12-year-old girl in Nottinghamshire in the 1980s.

The 82-year-old opened a two-acre Japanese garden at his home in Trent Lane, North Clifton

Maitreya, who was given a four-year prison sentence in 2020, was jailed for a further two years.

He will remain on the sex offenders register for life and a sexual harm prevention order will continue to be in place to restrict his access to children upon his release.

Det Con Stewart Cameron from Sussex Police's Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said: "Takeuchi travelled around the country teaching meditation.

"He also owned a set of Japanese gardens in Nottinghamshire which regularly featured on television programmes and was visited by thousands of people each year.

"But he used these to hide the sexual abuse he carried out on young girls.

"He ingratiated himself with their families in order to gain their trust to carry out the crimes.

"Takeuchi had a devastating impact on the lives of his young victims."