Court: “Victims suffered significant psychological trauma”
“Digital sexual offenses carry a high risk of being copied and redistributed, warranting stern punishment”
“Digital sexual offenses carry a high risk of being copied and redistributed, warranting stern punishment”
A man in his 30s was sentenced to seven years in prison after prosecutors charged him with raping minors he met through KakaoTalk open chat rooms and producing child sexual exploitation material.
The Bucheon branch of the Incheon District Court’s Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Na Sang-hoon) announced on April 4 that it sentenced A, a chef in his 30s, to seven years in prison on charges including statutory rape. The court also barred him for seven years from working at organizations serving children, youth, or people with disabilities, and ordered him to undergo five years of probation after his release.
Prosecutors say A raped or sexually abused five minors he met in July and August 2024 via KakaoTalk open chat rooms, and that the assaults took place at his home. They allege he produced child sexual exploitation material after receiving videos and images showing the victims’ body parts. Investigators found that some victims suffered physical injuries.
The court said, “The victims have suffered severe psychological shock that may distort their understanding of sex and negatively affect their personality development. Given the nature of digital sexual offenses — which can be endlessly copied and redistributed — there is a compelling need for stern punishment.”
