140 Digital Sex Crime Arrests Include 25 Teenagers
Telegram 'Jakyungdan' Causing Secondary Harm Also Under Investigation
Arrest Warrant for Social Service Worker Aiding Jo Joo-bin... Co-Conspirator Investigation Accelerates
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@
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The police have arrested 140 people and detained 23 on charges of producing and distributing sexually exploitative materials through social network services (SNS) such as Telegram. The number of victims has exceeded 100, including 26 teenagers. On the 2nd, the National Police Agency announced that it had investigated 98 digital sex crime cases related to sexual exploitation and referred 13 cases to prosecution as of the previous day.
Many Minor Victims... 25 Perpetrators Also Teenagers
According to the police, 29 operators produced and distributed sexually exploitative materials on Telegram and other platforms, and 14 suspects distributed them. There are 97 suspects charged with possessing sexually exploitative materials. Among them, 25 suspects were involved in redistributing or simply distributing the materials.
The number of victims identified through police investigations so far reached 103. The largest group was teenagers, with 26 confirmed cases, followed by 17 in their 20s, 8 in their 30s, and 1 in their 40s. There were 51 victims whose ages could not be confirmed. Notably, many perpetrators were also teenagers. By age group, there were 78 in their 20s, 30 in their 30s, and 25 teenagers.
The police are investigating a total of 85 cases, including three cases involving the production and distribution of sexually exploitative materials by 'GodGod,' the originator of the Telegram 'Nth Room,' as well as 'Doctor's Room' and 'Project N Room,' including cases of redistribution. Additionally, they have checked 15,000 unique nicknames among the subscribers of Doctor's Room, excluding duplicates, and are focusing on identifying their identities.
Earlier, on the 25th, the police established the Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Headquarters under the National Police Agency and have been intensively investigating sexual exploitation crimes spread through SNS such as Telegram. The Special Investigation Headquarters is led by the Director of the Cyber Safety Bureau of the National Police Agency, with a total of 4,283 personnel fully committed to investigating digital crimes.
Two of Three 'Doctor's Room' Co-Operators Arrested
Among the three people who jointly operated the Telegram 'Doctor's Room' chatroom with operator Jo Joo-bin (24), two have already been arrested. A police official stated, "Two of the three co-operators of Doctor's Room are under investigation and have been arrested," adding, "The remaining one is currently being identified."
Previously, Jo Joo-bin's side revealed that there were three more accomplices managing the chatroom. On the previous day, Kim Ho-je, Jo's lawyer, said, "Besides Jo, there were three Doctor's Room managers with the nicknames 'Buddha,' 'Praying Mantis,' and 'Igya,' making a total of four people jointly operating Doctor's Room." He also added, "It has been confirmed that Lee Mo (16), nicknamed 'Pacific,' who is currently indicted, played a managerial role and committed crimes jointly with Jo."
At the Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Headquarters plaque unveiling ceremony held on the 25th at the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency North Building, Police Chief Min Gap-ryong and other attendees unveiled the plaque. From the left, Jo Joo-eun, Director of Women's Safety Planning, Nam Gu-jun, Director of Cyber Safety Bureau, Chief Min, and Choi Seung-ryeol, Investigation Review Officer. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@
Furthermore, the police are currently investigating a total of 85 cases, including three involving the production and distribution of sexually exploitative materials by 'GodGod,' the creator of the Telegram 'Nth Room,' as well as Doctor's Room and 'Project N Room.' GodGod has not yet been arrested. In the case of Doctor's Room, Jo was apprehended because sexually exploitative materials were traded using the cryptocurrency 'Monero,' but the Nth Room operated by GodGod used cultural gift certificates. A police official said, "It is difficult to say whether GodGod's identity has been confirmed, but we are investigating other related activities."
The police also plan to consider publicly disclosing the identities of accomplices who committed crimes with Jo. A police official said, "We are continuing the investigation of accomplices related to Jo Joo-bin, and depending on the investigation results, we may decide whether to disclose their identities."
"Telegram 'Vigilante Groups' Also Under Investigation... Secondary Damage Occurring"
Regarding the so-called 'Nth Room' case, where sexually exploitative materials were produced and distributed through Telegram and other SNS, the police are also investigating vigilante groups that spread personal information of suspected criminals.
A police official explained, "There are significant privacy violations in the activities of these vigilante groups, so we are examining them closely."
One representative vigilante group is the 'Scarlet Letter' Telegram chatroom, where currently the criminal circumstances and personal information of about 200 suspects related to the Nth Room case are being disclosed. Sensitive information such as names, ages, addresses, resident registration numbers, mobile phone numbers, occupations, and photos are being shared with over 10,000 chat participants. The police have identified that there are many similar chatrooms with functions like the Scarlet Letter room.
A police official pointed out, "A lot of personal information is being posted in the vigilante Telegram rooms. They voluntarily disclose identities, and in the process, existing victims are also mentioned, raising concerns about secondary damage."
Initially, vigilante groups gained some public sympathy for punishing digital sex offenders, but secondary damage has been severe. Victims' personal information and photos were often exposed without filtering, and only after some media raised issues about secondary damage were some photos deleted.
"To Prevent Crying Twice" Victim Protection System Established
Various victim protection measures have also been prepared. As of now, the police have completed investigations of 47 out of 103 victims in the Nth Room case and have supported 173 victim protection measures. Personal protection has been provided for two victims.
Victim reports can be made anytime and anywhere by visiting a police station, calling (112, 182, 117), or through the Cyber Police Agency website. The police will thoroughly inform victims of their rights and protection/support measures during investigations and actively support them in cooperation with related organizations.
Female officers handle victim investigations, and protections during the investigation process include using pseudonymous statements, accompaniment by trusted persons, video recording of victim testimonies, as well as deletion of related videos, counseling, legal support, emergency living expenses, and provision of temporary housing facilities.
Additionally, the police have formed a 'Victim Protection Task Force' led by the head of the Women and Youth Division at each police station to promote various victim protection measures. A police official emphasized, "We will not disclose the fact of victim reports to anyone without the victim's consent, so please rest assured. We will protect victims uniformly and substantively at each police station."
Arrest Warrant for Social Service Agent Who Provided Personal Information to Jo Joo-bin
Police investigations into accomplices who assisted Jo Joo-bin are ongoing. On this day, the Cyber Safety Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced that it had applied for an arrest warrant for A (26), a former social service agent, on charges including violation of the Personal Information Protection Act. The prosecution has filed the arrest warrant with the Seoul Central District Court.
According to the police, A is suspected of illegally accessing the personal information of about 200 people and providing the personal information of 17 of them to Jo. A, who was a social service agent, was confirmed to have assisted in issuing resident registration certificates and transcripts at a community service center in Seoul.
The police plan to verify whether A has committed additional crimes and whether there were other accomplices. A police official stated, "We are also checking whether any public officials at the community service center where A worked committed illegal acts."
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