30-Year-Old Man Sentenced to 7 Years in First Trial for Assaulting Runaway Teen and Producing Sexual Exploitation Material

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] A man in his 30s who produced sexually exploitative videos targeting runaway youth and forced the victims to distribute them himself was sentenced to prison.

According to the legal community on the 3rd, the 12th Criminal Division of the Seoul Eastern District Court (Chief Judge Park Sang-gu) sentenced A (31), who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (production, distribution, possession of sexually exploitative materials), violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (forcible molestation and statutory rape of minors), violating the Act on the Protection and Support of Missing Children, and assault, to seven years in prison.

In addition, A was ordered to complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs, face a 10-year employment restriction at child and youth institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled, maintain a 100-meter no-contact order with the victim, and undergo probation for five years after serving the sentence.

From October last year to April this year, A is accused of luring the runaway youth victim, assaulting them, and producing and possessing sexually exploitative materials on four occasions.

A built intimacy with the victim by giving pocket money and also forced the victim to film their own nude videos and upload them on social networking services (SNS).

Moreover, even while in custody, A sent the victim about ten letters urging, "Make sure your parents do not receive these letters. Ask the judge for leniency."

A committed the crimes during a probation period after being convicted of violating the Narcotics Control Act and other offenses.

The court stated, "Although the defendant continuously submitted letters of apology, their content mostly suggested that the defendant and the victim loved each other, raising doubts about the sincerity of the remorse," and added, "The defendant degraded a young victim, whose sexual values and judgment abilities were not yet formed, into a sexual object, which is a very serious offense."

It continued, "There were a total of 40 charges of producing sexually exploitative materials, but 36 of these were not proven. There is a possibility that the victim filmed voluntarily, and it is unclear which were filmed at the defendant’s request, so those charges are acquitted."

Meanwhile, the victim’s family reportedly expressed their intention to appeal after the trial concluded.