'Male Child Sexual Exploitation' Choi Chan-wook... Prosecution Seeks 15-Year Prison Sentence

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] The prosecution has requested a 15-year prison sentence for Choi Chan-wook, who is accused of producing and distributing sexually exploitative materials involving male children and adolescents.

On the 7th, the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office demanded a 15-year prison term for Choi, who was indicted on charges including habitual production and distribution of sexually exploitative materials under the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, during the sentencing hearing.

Choi is accused of using dozens of SNS accounts from 2016 until last April to impersonate women and deceive a total of 70 male minors into exchanging nude photos, thereby receiving sexually exploitative videos. Notably, he was found to have committed acts equivalent to rape five times against two victims under the age of 16 and forcibly molested another victim three times.

On the day, the prosecution pointed out, "The defendant's claims contradict the consistent testimonies of the victims who appeared in court, making his statements nonsensical," and added, "He habitually and cunningly approached children and adolescents by exploiting anonymity online to produce sexually exploitative materials and forcibly molest them, showing extremely poor criminal character."

Meanwhile, the Daejeon Police Agency disclosed Choi's identity following a decision by the Personal Information Disclosure Review Committee before transferring the case to the prosecution. The sentencing is scheduled for the afternoon of the 23rd.