[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] A pastor in his 60s from Jeonbuk, who was charged with sexually assaulting and molesting female church members for decades, has appealed to the Supreme Court after receiving a heavier sentence in the appellate court than in the original trial. The pastor showed shameless behavior, including sexually molesting minors and mothers and daughters.
According to the Jeonju District Court on the 31st, Pastor A (64), who was charged with rape and other offenses and sentenced to 12 years in prison in the appellate court, recently filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
In court, Pastor A denied the charges, saying, "It was an American-style greeting," and claimed, "(The church members) are slandering me to drive me out of the church."
Pastor A was arrested and indicted on charges of repeatedly raping and molesting nine female church members at the church, a villa, and his home from 1989 to 2018.
During the crimes, Pastor A reportedly committed the acts while telling the church members who expressed refusal, "This is done out of God's love, so it's okay," and "You have to do this to go to heaven."
Among those victimized by Pastor A, one was a minor aged 15 in 2009, and there were cases where mothers and daughters were molested. Another church member was found to have been continuously molested even after being raped.
Pastor A admitted to the investigative authorities that "it was wrong to have inappropriate relationships with the congregation," but continued to deny the charges, claiming "it was a consensual relationship."
The first trial court said, "The defendant, who should have high morality due to his profession, raped or molested deeply religious believers, which is a very serious crime," and sentenced him to eight years in prison, stating, "Despite the victims suffering considerable sexual shame and mental shock, the defendant consistently gave unacceptable excuses, making a heavy sentence inevitable."
Subsequently, both Pastor A and the prosecution appealed, citing the sentence as unfair. The appellate court also recognized Pastor A's guilt as in the first trial and sentenced him to 12 years in prison, which is heavier than the original sentence.
The appellate court rejected Pastor A's claims, stating, "Considering that the victims were given lifelong irreparable shock, that the victims have not recovered, that the actual number of crimes committed by the defendant is likely higher, and that he committed the crime again despite being sued by church members for forcible molestation in 2007, the original sentence was too light."
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