'Over 1,900 Videos'... Elementary School Male Teacher Produces Sexual Exploitation Material of Teenage Minors

Sentenced to 7 Years Imprisonment

Photo by Getty Images Bank

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] An elementary school teacher who was charged with filming and storing sexual exploitation materials through social networking services (SNS) targeting female adolescents has been sentenced to imprisonment.

On the 18th, the Criminal Division 12 of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Hwang In-seong) announced that it sentenced Mr. A (in his 30s), an elementary school teacher charged with quasi-rape of a minor and violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sexual Abuse (possession of sexual exploitation materials), to 7 years in prison.

Additionally, the court ordered the defendant's information to be disclosed and notified via information and communication networks for 5 years, completion of an 80-hour sexual violence treatment program, and employment restrictions for 7 years at child, youth, and welfare facilities for the disabled.

Mr. A, who has been working as an elementary school teacher since 2012, met and conversed with a teenage child and youth, Ms. B, in an SNS chat room in 2015. During this process, he instructed her to take photos of certain body parts and stored approximately 1,900 pieces of child and youth sexual exploitation materials on an external hard drive until around mid-February last year, for which he was charged.

In 2017, he also sexually harassed Ms. C, and in 2020, at a motel room in the Busan area, he is accused of quasi-rape of a teenage girl, Ms. D (then 13 years old), whom he met through SNS.

It was investigated that about 120 victims suffered in this manner from Mr. A.

The court stated, "This crime targeted children and youth as objects of sexual desire, and considering the method, content, duration, number and age of victims, the nature of the crime is serious. Despite being a teacher of elementary students, he lacked sexual values and judgment ability, grooming elementary students and distorting their healthy sexual awareness, which is highly condemnable." However, the court also noted, "The defendant confessed to the crime, cooperated with the investigation, and the sexual exploitation materials were not distributed," as reasons for sentencing.