17,495 Digital Sex Crime Offenders Punished Last Year
Despite Passage of N-Bang Prevention Law and Increased Sentences... Digital Sex Crimes Persist
[Asia Economy Reporter Gong Byung-sun] It has been two years since the passage of the N-bunbang Prevention Act, but digital sex crimes have yet to be eradicated. The emergence of the dark web, virtual currencies, and technological advancements are cited as the causes.
On the 5th, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced that 17,495 digital sex crime offenders were processed last year. This means that 48 people were caught daily for digital sex crimes. This figure is about 30% higher compared to five years ago in 2016.
This year as well, the number of digital sex crime offenders has not decreased and continues to be apprehended. From January to May this year, 8,199 digital sex crime offenders were processed. The number of offenders processed by the end of this year is expected to be similar to last year.
The non-prosecution rate of digital sex crime offenders is generally on the decline. During the N-bunbang case, there were criticisms that digital sex crime offenders were not prosecuted and thus not actively punished. The non-prosecution rate for digital sex crime offenders was 40% in 2016 but decreased to about 20% last year. However, this year it has risen again to about 32%.
In 2020, the National Assembly amended the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes and the Telecommunications Business Act to prevent the recurrence of digital sex crimes. This is the so-called 'N-bunbang Prevention Act.' According to the amendment, those who possess, purchase, or watch illegal sexual recordings face imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won.
Sentences have also been significantly increased. Jo Joo-bin, the main figure in the N-bunbang crimes, was sentenced to 42 years by the Supreme Court in October last year. This sentence was possible because charges included not only camera-based sexual filming and distribution under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act but also crimes such as concealment of criminal proceeds and organization of a criminal group. Nam Kyung-eup, Jo Joo-bin’s accomplice, was also sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Nevertheless, digital sex crimes are analyzed to be increasingly becoming covert and diversified, thus not decreasing. According to the 'Digital Sex Crime Response TF and Expert Committee Activities and Achievements' published in May, digital sex crimes are combining with the rapidly growing dark web and cryptocurrencies.
Technological advancements are also a reason why digital sex crimes cannot be eradicated. An example is the synthesis of famous celebrities’ or acquaintances’ faces using deepfake (AI-based synthesis) technology. According to the Dutch AI research institute Sensity, 96% of the 14,678 deepfake videos produced in 2019 were pornographic.
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