[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] Ahn Seung-jin (25), an accomplice of Moon Hyung-wook (24), the creator of the 'n번방' Telegram sexual exploitation chatroom, was handed over to the prosecution on the 23rd.
The Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency sent Ahn to the prosecution around 2 p.m. on charges including violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sexual Abuse. Ahn, who had been detained at the Andong Police Station detention center in Gyeongbuk, was transferred to the Andong branch of the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office and appeared publicly for the first time.
Ahn revealed his face to the media without wearing a mask or hat. Emerging from the detention center looking haggard, when asked if he had anything to say to the victims, he began by saying, "I sincerely apologize to the victims and their families."
When reporters asked if he admitted to the charge of sexually assaulting a child, he hesitated briefly before answering, "I admit it." Ahn did not respond to further questions and got into the escort vehicle.
On the 18th, the Gyeongbuk Police Agency held a personal information disclosure committee composed of three police officers and four external members, deciding to disclose Ahn’s personal information. The day before, they released his name, age, and facial photos. He is the fifth suspect whose identity has been revealed, following Moon, the original creator of the n번방, 'Doctor's Room' operator Jo Joo-bin (24), and his accomplices 'Boo-tta' Kang Hoon (18) and 'Igya' Lee Won-ho (19).
Ahn is accused of contacting about ten children and adolescents via SNS from March 2015 to March 2016, producing sexual exploitation materials by threatening them after receiving videos of their body exposure. He is also charged with having sexual relations with a child he met through social media around April 2015.
He is suspected of attempting to produce child sexual exploitation materials by threatening three victims under Moon’s orders in March last year. From March to June 2019, he is also accused of distributing over 1,000 child sexual exploitation materials and possessing more than 9,200 related materials.
The police, while investigating Moon, detected evidence that he distributed n번방 sexual exploitation materials and threatened victims together with Moon Hyung-wook. Based on digital evidence, they interrogated him and obtained a full confession of the crimes.
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