Man in his 50s impersonating police officer to sexually assault teenager... "8 years imprisonment"

A man in his 50s who impersonated a police officer and repeatedly sexually assaulted minors was sentenced to 8 years in prison on the 27th. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] A man in his 50s who impersonated a police officer and repeatedly sexually assaulted minors has been sentenced to prison.

The 12th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (Chief Judge No Jaeho) announced on the 27th that Yoo Mo (53) was sentenced to 8 years in prison for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse, and was ordered to wear an electronic location tracking device for 20 years.

Additionally, the court ordered that information about the defendant be disclosed and notified on information and communication networks for 10 years, and imposed a 5-year employment restriction order for child and youth-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled.

Yoo was tried on charges of sexually assaulting and illegally filming two teenage girls he met through a conditional meeting chat app between December 2019 and July of last year.

He threatened the victims by brandishing a taser gun, a pistol, or an object resembling a police ID card, impersonating a police officer. He intimidated the victims by suggesting they would be investigated by the police for attempting so-called conditional meetings, and even drove past an actual police station.

Yoo denied the charges, claiming that the sexual relations were consensual and that he did not impersonate a police officer.

However, the court recognized Yoo’s guilt based on the victims’ testimonies, which showed no signs of fabrication and were consistent, evidence supporting the circumstances before and after the assaults, and the fact that unrelated victims reported similar sexual assault experiences.

The court stated, "Sexual crimes against children and juveniles are unethical and shameless acts that can never be tolerated. The defendant abandoned the responsibility to properly guide children and juveniles to grow into healthy members of society and committed sexual crimes through intimidation, which is a very serious offense." It added, "Considering the defendant’s prior punishment of 9 years imprisonment for sexual violence crimes and his time served, the sentencing was determined accordingly."