'Guest Sexual Assault' Unmanned Motel Owner... Wife Says "Innocent from A to Z"

The owner of an unmanned motel who broke into the room of a sleeping female guest and attempted to sexually assault her has been sentenced to seven years in prison and is claiming innocence. The owner's wife also blamed the victim, insisting her husband is wrongfully accused.

According to JTBC on the 14th, the unmanned motel sexual assault incident occurred in March last year at an unmanned motel in Buyeo, Chungnam. After midnight, Mr. B (58), the motel owner, broke into the room where Ms. A (in her 30s) was staying.

The unmanned motel owner sexual assault case aired on JTBC on the 12th.
[Photo by JTBC 'Bugeultview']

He grabbed Ms. A's body and tried to sexually assault her. Ms. A, thinking "he might kill me," relaxed her body and pretended to be asleep without resisting. Mr. B sat on the sofa, smoked a cigarette, removed Ms. A's underwear, and attempted to sexually assault her, committing an act of attempted rape. After the man left the room, Ms. A immediately reported to the police. Mr. B was urgently arrested and detained by the court.

According to JTBC, Mr. B's wife and daughter submitted a petition to the court in August last year before the first trial verdict. The wife, who continues to operate the unmanned motel, appealed for Mr. B's innocence, saying, "He was wrongfully imprisoned even though he did not commit such a crime as stated in the indictment," and "He lost 6 kg due to stress and is struggling."

The daughter also said, "Due to my father's absence, commuting to work has been difficult, and I have been threatened many times by drowsy driving, which is a killer on the road," and "I sincerely ask for the truth to be revealed."

Additionally, Mr. B's wife claimed that her husband and the victim, Ms. A, knew each other. She said about her husband's actions, "He entered (the room) with consent and only committed some sexual harassment."

She continued, "Everything from start to finish is unfair," and blamed the victim, saying, "(My husband) did nothing wrong; isn't she just asking for money?"

However, the prosecution's investigation confirmed that the perpetrator and the victim were strangers. Mr. B had seen Ms. A at a restaurant near the unmanned motel two hours before the crime and remembered her appearance. When Ms. A arrived at the motel, he checked her image through a cellphone CCTV app.

During the trial, Mr. B's defense attorney pressured Ms. A, asking, "Did you approach him for money?", "Aren't you afraid of the defendant?", and "Why do you keep following the trial?"

Contrary to the defense attorney's claims, Ms. A stated during the investigation that she never demanded money nor reached any agreement with Mr. B. She appealed, "I cannot sleep because of the fear that someone might enter (the room) while I am asleep."

Meanwhile, Mr. B, who has a prior record of punishment for purchasing sex from minors, has hired a former high-ranking attorney and is currently on trial. The Daejeon High Court overturned the first trial's six-year prison sentence and sentenced him to seven years. Mr. B has filed an appeal, and the case is awaiting a Supreme Court ruling.