"Punishment for Digital Sexual Crimes Must Be Strengthened"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, on the 27th commented on the first trial sentencing of Jo Joo-bin (24), the operator of the 'Baksa Room' who was prosecuted for producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials involving minors, receiving 40 years in prison. He stated, “As is well known, only the tip of the iceberg of the Nth Room case has been revealed,” and added, “We must relentlessly track down and eradicate the second and third Jo Joo-bins and Nth Rooms.”
In a statement released that day, Ahn said, “The age of victims of digital sex crimes is getting younger and younger. The recent Nth Room case included many child and adolescent victims,” and emphasized, “This is why punishment for the rapidly spreading digital sex crimes must be strengthened.”
He said, “We should push for legal amendments to allow a Korean-style ‘Sweety Project’ and be able to prevent and strongly punish stalking not only offline but also online,” adding, “Above all, since perpetrators can be caught at the stalking stage where victims are targeted before the crime, this will lead to a substantial reduction in crimes.”
He continued, “International cooperation for real-time deletion of illegal recordings must also be promoted,” and added, “Legal responsibility for platform operators distributing illegal recordings should be strengthened, and all illegal profits from such recordings must be recovered and used to protect victims.”
Ahn emphasized, “We must go beyond the fleeting interest in the Nth Room case,” pointing out, “Compared to advanced countries, laws and systems punishing sexual crimes against children, adolescents, and women are still insufficient.” He also noted, “The release date of Jo Doo-soon, who claimed innocence despite sexually assaulting an 8-year-old elementary school student, is approaching,” and stated, “To prevent recidivism by heinous criminals like Jo Doo-soon, protective custody for treatment purposes should be implemented even after serving their sentences. All sexual violence against minors must prohibit sentence reductions, suspended sentences, and parole.”
Ahn concluded, “The punishment of the Baksa Room should not be the end but the beginning. The political circles and judiciary, which only showed temporary concern due to public attention, must not be allowed to revert to their previous inertia,” and said, “We must remember that the Nth Room grew by feeding on the laziness and indifference of the political circles as well as the inadequacies and loopholes in laws and systems. We must identify the shadows of sexual crimes growing like poisonous mushrooms everywhere, severely punish perpetrators, and reform laws and systems to the level of advanced countries to protect victims and prevent further harm.”
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