[Logout 'n'] Punishing the Culprit Is Not the Only Solution... "We Must Break the Cycle of Sexual Crime Recurrence"

<Part 2> Our Approach to the Nth Room Case

Revealing Identities and Tougher Punishments Are Insufficient
'Caught Without Exception' Must Be Imprinted

Need to Consider Active Investigation Methods Like Undercover Operations and Transparent Disclosure of Results

[Asia Economy Reporters Seungyoon Song and Jeongyun Lee] The Telegram 'Nth Room Incident' marked a turning point in the landscape of sex crimes in our society. In response to the public's outrage, the government hastily rolled out measures to prevent sex crimes and pushed for legislation to curb digital sex crimes. The identities of the main suspects in the Nth Room case were also fully disclosed. However, appropriate punishment for criminals alone is not the ultimate solution.

Digital sex crimes are virtually impossible to reverse once the damage has occurred, and they tend to happen repeatedly. Therefore, experts agree that the top priority to prevent crimes like the Nth Room incident from recurring is to create an environment where criminals cannot thrive.

Professor Kim Do-woo of the Department of Police Science at Gyeongnam National University said, "The atmosphere that encourages sex crimes in our society has already surpassed a level that education alone can resolve," adding, "Rather than simply increasing sentences, there needs to be a perception that committing a crime will inevitably lead to detection and legal action. A zero-tolerance policy is necessary."

There is also a strong call to apply a wider range of measures from the early stages of investigation to maximize preventive effects. Given the covert nature of digital sex crimes that evade investigative agencies' tracking, it is argued that more diverse investigative techniques should be recognized than currently allowed. In fact, overseas investigative agencies actively employ more aggressive investigative methods in digital sex crime cases than we do. For example, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) once created and operated a child pornography site called 'Playpen' in 2015 to catch child sex offenders. Europe, including Germany, follows similar practices.

Some argue that at the conclusion of investigations, the circumstances of the suspect's arrest, as well as the investigative methods and processes, should be fully disclosed. This is intended to instill the perception that no crime can be committed by any means, thereby deterring criminal intent in advance. This approach is the exact opposite of the current stance of our police, who do not disclose precise investigative techniques.

Attorney Gu Tae-eon, CEO of Law Firm Lin, said, "The Nth Room case should be seen as an example where crime prevention functions did not work properly," adding, "This ultimately means that the deterrent effect against crime is insufficient, so there must be an institutional foundation to conduct proactive undercover investigations and transparently disclose investigation results."

Despite preventive efforts, crimes inevitably occur. Therefore, it is crucial to provide multifaceted support to victims. Currently, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family has formed the 'Digital Sex Crime Victim Special Support Team' to assist those affected by digital sex crimes. The Korea Women's Human Rights Institute under the ministry, along with the National Sexual Violence Counseling Center, Korea Sexual Violence Crisis Center, and the Sunflower Center, also participate in the special support team. However, these organizations face chronic issues such as manpower shortages, leaving many challenges to be addressed. Hyun-sook Lee, Executive Director of Tacteen Tomorrow, an organization supporting children and youth, emphasized, "When victim videos are distributed, there needs to be a more proactive institutional safeguard, such as law enforcement agencies forcibly deleting them."