Forced Similar Acts, Showing Body Parts, and Giving 10,000 Won Each
According to a JTBC news report on the 31st, a pastor in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, who habitually sexually assaulted two teenage sisters and told them to "think of me as your father," was recently sentenced to seven years in prison. It has been confirmed that there are more victims who were sexually assaulted using the same method. Photo by JTBC (captured from broadcast).
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A pastor in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, who habitually sexually assaulted two teenage sisters and told them "Think of me as your father," was recently sentenced to seven years in prison. It has been confirmed that there are more victims who were sexually assaulted using the same method.
On the 31st of last month, JTBC reported that during the process of asking the assaulted sisters to testify, another sexual assault victim was identified.
According to JTBC, Pastor A habitually sexually assaulted the teenage sisters who attended the local children's center he operated for two years starting in 2007.
Pastor A forced the sisters to engage in similar sexual acts and committed sexual crimes such as showing them his private parts.
After each offense, the pastor took out 10,000 won from his pocket and gave it to them, telling them to buy snacks.
He was reported to have frequently said, "I will be your father."
The sisters felt that someone reaching out to them was their only hope at the time.
However, when the sisters filed a complaint against Pastor A, his crimes became known to the public after 13 years.
Other offenses were beyond the statute of limitations, which was regretted by the police and prosecutors.
Although Pastor A was sentenced to seven years in prison, he reportedly did not admit to the charges.
However, the victims were not only the sisters.
B, who the sisters contacted to ask for testimony, turned out to be another sexual assault victim. The method was similar.
B said, "I realized I had gone through something that should never have happened only after becoming an adult," and recalled, "(The pastor) would touch my head, touch my shoulders, comfort me, and then at some point, it happened," adding, "My family was poor. Since I kept getting 10,000 won allowances, I realized he was touching me in exchange for money."
The assaults continued throughout B's middle school years.
Pastor A operated the local children's center until 2018.
The victims suspect there may be more victims.
If any hidden victims come forward to file complaints, additional investigations are likely to proceed.
When asked for a statement by JTBC reporters, Pastor A's legal representative stated, "We will not respond to the media."
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