A man in his 20s operating an illegal website in the US
Police collaborate with US HSI to arrest him at the airport
"We will pursue him to the end even if he flees abroad"
A Korean man in his 20s who operated 14 illegal sexual exploitation sites in the United States was arrested at Incheon International Airport.
On the 27th, Yonhap News reported, "The Cyber Crime Investigation Unit 2 of the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency sent Mr. A, a man in his 20s and a U.S. permanent resident, to prosecution without detention on the 17th on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, and others." Mr. A is a permanent resident living in California, USA, who used his computer skills to create the sites himself. He reportedly had no other job and committed the crimes alone.
The illegal sites created by Mr. A received an average of about 20,000 visitors per day. The videos posted on the sites included child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials, illegal recordings, and sexual videos, which were found to have been collected by Mr. A through the dark web, Telegram, and other means. Instead of generating revenue through viewing or membership fees, Mr. A displayed banner advertisements on the sites and earned profits in cryptocurrency from advertising companies.
Additionally, Mr. A is accused of producing and distributing AI-generated synthetic nude photos of virtual characters to promote the sites. Upon launching an investigation, the police confirmed that Mr. A was a U.S. permanent resident and cooperated with the U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to conduct raids and seizures on overseas server companies. Through a long-term undercover investigation, they identified Mr. A’s personal information. They then tracked his route as he stayed in the Philippines and transited through Korea on his way back to the U.S., successfully arresting him at Incheon Airport on the 10th. Evidence was also found on Mr. A’s laptop indicating attempts to create synthetic nude images of a famous domestic celebrity.
The police plan to shut down all 14 illegal sites and apply for seizure and preservation of the criminal proceeds earned by Mr. A. Seizure and preservation is a measure that forces payment of an equivalent value in money when ownership cannot be confiscated. A police official stated, "Digital sex crimes are serious offenses that destroy the daily lives of victims," adding, "Even if operators evade tracking or flee overseas, we will pursue them relentlessly under a zero-tolerance policy to ensure they face legal judgment."
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