[n번방, The Society That Created the Devil②] "Living in Hell"... Digital Sex Crimes Are Character Assassination

Offline Sexual Crimes Cause Greater Mental Pain Than Physical Pain

Nearly Half of Digital Sexual Crime Victims Contemplate Suicide... 20% Attempt Suicide

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] "For a while, I couldn't even leave the house and felt like I was being stalked. Even in the middle of summer, I had to bundle up tightly to avoid being recognized when going outside. During the time when I was in so much pain that I couldn't sleep, eat, or meet people, thinking about how those people used others to upload my videos to the Baksa-bang on Telegram to satisfy their sexual desires is horrifying."

This is a statement recently made by victim A, who was threatened and coerced into producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials by the Telegram 'Baksa-bang' (Doctor's Room). The shame felt after discovering that her nude photos were exposed and sadistic sexual exploitation videos were circulated in the Baksa-bang, which reportedly had over 10,000 participants, far exceeds the pain of physical sexual crimes.

According to Seoul City, digital sexual crimes have increased approximately 23 times over the past decade and account for 24.9% of all sexual violence crimes. Nearly half (45.6%) of the victims whose illegal videos were distributed contemplated suicide, and among them, 42.3% made specific suicide plans. 19.2% actually attempted suicide.

Digital sexual crimes such as those involving Baksa-bang victims, revenge porn, and hidden cameras inevitably cause secondary harm as the videos spread rapidly online even after the original distributors are caught. This is due to the characteristic of digital sexual crimes spreading more covertly by switching platforms.

Jo Joo-bin, the operator of the 'Doctor's Room' who threatened dozens of women including minors on the internet messenger Telegram and forced them to film obscene materials which he then distributed, is coming out of Jongno Police Station in Seoul on the morning of the 25th to be sent to the prosecution. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

Since crackdowns on Telegram began last year, paid chat rooms have moved to other messengers like Discord. For example, after the recent arrest of Baksa-bang operator Jo Joo-bin, Baksa-bang materials are being traded on the encrypted network 'Dark Web.' Sellers leave their Telegram IDs and communicate via messages to facilitate transactions.

However, sluggish investigations and mild punishments for digital sexual crimes are still cited as reasons for the spread of secondary distribution of illegal recordings. Previously, as awareness of digital sexual crime victims increased following cases like Jung Joon-young's hidden camera scandal, the government established countermeasures two years ago. When requesting deletion of illegal recordings, a prior blocking measure is taken, and within three days, an emergency review is conducted to promptly delete the illegal content.

Additionally, if videos of one's body are distributed without the consent of the person filmed, the perpetrator faces up to five years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million won. For distribution against the subject's will using information and communication networks for profit, the fine is removed, and only imprisonment of up to seven years is imposed.

However, as revealed in the Baksa-bang case, both sellers and buyers continued trading sadistic sexual exploitation materials without guilt. A representative from a women's organization stated, "In cases of physical sexual crimes, perpetrators are few, but digital sexual crimes involve thousands of perpetrators harming victims," adding, "Victims live in hell for life, suffering as much as from physical pain."