Co-conspirator of Jo Joo-bin, 'Butta', Arrested on Charges of Evidence Tampering and Flight Risk

Co-conspirator 'BooTta' of Telegram Doctor's Room Jo Joo-bin Arrested
Court: "Continuously Causing Serious Harm to Victims"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] The court has issued an arrest warrant for Kang Mo (18, nickname Butta), who is accused of assisting Jo Joo-bin (24, in custody) in his crimes on the Telegram 'Baksa Room'.

On the 9th, Judge Kim Tae-gyun, in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, held a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant substantive examination) for Kang, who is charged with violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse, and issued the arrest warrant that day.

Judge Kang stated, "A significant portion of the criminal charges has been substantiated, and considering the nature of the crimes described in the charges, the suspect's role and degree of involvement, the meticulous and planned methods of the crimes, and the fact that serious harm was continuously inflicted on multiple victims, a severe punishment is expected. Considering the risk that the suspect may flee or destroy evidence, it is recognized that there is an unavoidable reason to detain the suspect, who is a juvenile under the Juvenile Act," explaining the reason for issuing the warrant.

Kang is accused of participating in Jo's crimes on the Telegram 'Baksa Room' under the nickname 'Butta', recruiting participants for the chat room, and managing criminal proceeds such as entrance fees.

On the 25th, the Digital Sex Crime Special Investigation Headquarters plaque ceremony was held at the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency North Building. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

The Cyber Safety Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, investigating the 'Baksa Room' case, applied for Kang's arrest warrant the day before. The prosecution judged that detention was necessary and requested the warrant from the court.

Kang is one of the three accomplices Jo revealed during the prosecution investigation. Jo's lawyer stated, "Besides Jo, there were three more Baksa Room administrators with the nicknames Butta, Samagwi, and Igya." Private First Class Lee Mo (20), an active-duty soldier who used the nickname 'Igya', was detained by military police on the 6th for distributing sexual exploitation materials hundreds of times in the Baksa Room and promoting the room externally. The remaining accomplice, 'Samagwi', has not yet been apprehended.

On the morning of the day of the warrant hearing, Kang appeared at the Seoul Central District Court building in Seocho-dong, Seoul. When reporters asked, "What instructions did you receive from Jo Joo-bin?" and "Do you have anything to say to the victims?" he did not respond and went straight into the courtroom.