On August 30, the Seoul Western District Court sentenced “A” to 1 year and 6 months in prison for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (using cameras to record and distribute without consent) and placed him under court custody due to flight risk. In addition, he was ordered to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and is barred from working in child and disabled-related institutions for 3 years.
Previously, during the final trial in June, the prosecution had requested a 3-year sentence for “A,” citing his severe misconduct and the victims’ pleas for strict punishment.
The defense argued that while the actions were wrong, there was no intent to distribute the videos, as the recordings were made during a relationship. On September 4, “A” submitted an appeal through his lawyer, challenging the initial court ruling.
The first hearing of the appeal is scheduled for the 24th of this month, where the Seoul Western District Court’s 1st Criminal Division (Appeals) will review the positions of both “A” and the prosecution once again.
In the original trial, the court pointed out that filming the victims’ nude bodies without consent caused severe sexual humiliation, and if such footage were to be distributed, the damage would be irreversible. The court emphasized that the offense severely infringed on the victims’ sexual autonomy.
The court further noted that “A” committed these crimes multiple times against three victims, with whom he was in a relationship. Although “A” had offered settlements for two victims, they rejected them and demanded a harsh sentence. However, the court took into account that “A” admitted to his crimes, expressed remorse, and no footage had been leaked, alongside his clean record of similar offenses.
“A” was tried for illegally filming his romantic partner “B” 18 times from July 2022 to May of last year, including recording sexual acts and intimate body parts while she was blindfolded. The investigation revealed a total of three victims, including “B.”
“A” debuted as part of an idol group in 2017 but halted his activities in 2019 due to health issues. The group is no longer active.
Source: Nate
