Child sex offender Jo Doo-soon, who was accused of violating the "nighttime outing restriction order" by leaving his residence without permission, has been detained in court.
On the 20th, Judge Jang Soo-young of Criminal Division 5 at the Ansan Branch of Suwon District Court sentenced Jo Doo-soon, who was indicted for violating the Electronic Monitoring Act, to three months in prison and ordered his detention in court.
Joo Doo-soon, who violated the 'night outing restriction order' and left his residence without permission, was legally detained. Photo by Yonhap News
Judge Jang stated, "Imposing compliance requirements on individuals with electronic monitoring devices is to protect the public from crime, so even a single violation cannot be taken lightly," adding, "The defendant's offense has a significant impact on community safety and administration."
He continued, "It is difficult to see that the defendant is showing sincere remorse, as he himself suggested the amount of the fine and requested a reduction during the investigation and in court. Considering the defendant's financial situation, it is also hard to view a fine as an effective sanction," explaining the sentencing rationale.
Immediately after the verdict, Jo Doo-soon appeared confused in court, asking, "I don't really understand what you mean. Am I being detained?" and muttered to himself. He was then escorted out by court officials.
Jo Doo-soon was indicted for violating the "no nighttime outings after 9 PM" order on December 4 last year, when he left his residence in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, for about 40 minutes after 9:05 PM. He cited domestic discord, saying he had left without permission because he had argued with his wife.
At that time, Jo Doo-soon walked to a nearby police security post and spoke to two police officers on duty. The Ansan Probation Office, having received a violation alert from the control center, dispatched probation officers to the scene, and he returned home after about 40 minutes.
In the trial on the 11th, Jo Doo-soon pleaded for leniency, saying, "I will not step outside my home from now on. I will diligently follow the probation officers' instructions," and added, "I am living as a basic livelihood security recipient and do not have money to pay a fine." Previously, the prosecution had requested a one-year prison sentence for Jo Doo-soon.
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