[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Jo Joo-bin (24), the operator of the Telegram 'Baksa-bang' that distributed sexual exploitation materials, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. This is the first court ruling in this case, which changed the overall perception of digital sex crimes in our society, with dozens of female victims including minors.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 30 (Chief Judge Hyunwoo Lee) sentenced Jo, who was detained and indicted on charges including production and distribution of obscene materials under the Child and Youth Sexual Protection Act, to 40 years in prison and ordered him to wear an electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet) for 30 years on the morning of the 26th. The court stated, "Although it is recognized that some victims reached settlements, recovery measures for other victims have not been taken," and added, "Considering the seriousness of the case, the number of victims and the extent of harm, and the social damage caused by the crime, strict punishment and isolation from society are necessary."
Five accomplices who were tried alongside Jo were also sentenced to heavy prison terms ranging from 7 to 15 years. 'Taepyeongyang' Lee (16), who is still a minor, was sentenced to the maximum juvenile sentence of 10 years in long-term imprisonment and 5 years in short-term imprisonment. Kang (24), a social service worker who requested the death penalty from the court during last month's sentencing hearing, was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
The court recognized not only the sex crime-related charges against Jo and others but also the additional charges of organizing and joining a criminal organization. The court stated, "The defendants, knowing the distribution of sexual exploitation materials, participated to receive new exploitation materials and carried out Jo's instructions," and "It is recognized that they joined and were active in Baksa-bang while aware of the criminal group."
This case began to be investigated in earnest after a victim of Baksa-bang reported it in September last year. Through subsequent investigations, the reality of the crime, which involved threatening minors and others to produce and distribute sexual exploitation materials, was revealed. The prosecution applied a total of 14 charges including violations of the Child and Youth Sexual Protection Act against Jo and brought him to trial in April. Afterwards, Jo and his accomplices were re-indicted on charges of organizing and joining a criminal organization.
The Supreme Court Sentencing Commission created sentencing guidelines that allow for a maximum sentence of 29 years and 3 months if child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials are repeatedly and habitually produced, prompted by this case. This reflects the social consensus that digital sex crimes cause serious harm, similar to rape and other sex crimes. However, the sentencing guidelines created by the Supreme Court were not applied in this case. Nonetheless, the heavy sentence is interpreted as the court taking into account the stricter sentencing standards.
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