[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seok-jin] A man in his 20s was sentenced to prison for harassing his ex-girlfriend by sending over 500 text messages and emails after she stopped responding to his contact attempts.
On the 16th, according to the legal community, Judge Park Hyun-sook of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 22 sentenced Im Mo (26) to 10 months in prison on charges of intimidation, violation of the Information and Communications Network Act, and violation of the Telecommunications Business Act.
The court stated, "The defendant repeatedly sent messages that caused fear and anxiety to the person he was dating and then broke up with, and also threatened the victim's father. Considering the circumstances, content, and frequency of the crimes, the nature of the offense is very serious."
It added, "It is clear that the victims suffered extreme mental distress due to the defendant's actions. The victims had to move several times or change their phone numbers, making it impossible to live normal lives, and they strongly desire severe punishment."
Im was prosecuted for sending threatening text messages and emails, including messages such as "I will definitely kill you," between January and August of last year after his ex-girlfriend A stopped responding to his contact attempts.
Additionally, Im posted a message on an online secondhand trading cafe with A's contact information, claiming to trade used goods, which caused A to receive about 100 text messages.
Furthermore, Im threatened A's father by sending text messages stating "I will take revenge and retaliate thousands of times over" and by transmitting image files depicting a man harming a woman.
The total number of text messages and emails sent by Im to A and her father is known to have reached over 500.
Im continued his offenses even after being indicted in March of last year, resulting in five additional indictments up to February of this year, and he was detained in January of this year.
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