"Even If He Gets a Boyfriend, Have Sex with Me"…Coach Who Sexually Exploited Middle School 2nd Grade National Athlete Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison

Victim's Side Also Posted a National Petition in 2021

A coach in his 20s who sexually exploited a 16-year-old national jump rope athlete for over a year has been sentenced to prison. This comes more than four years after the crime.

On the 29th, Yonhap News reported that the Uijeongbu District Court sentenced coach A, who was indicted without detention on charges including violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, to five years in prison on the 28th. The court also ordered A to complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs and imposed a three-year employment ban at youth institutions.

A is accused of sexually assaulting B, a national jump rope athlete who was 16 at the time, over approximately one year starting in 2020. B’s parents filed a complaint against A after learning of the incident in 2021. At that time, they also posted a petition on the Blue House National Petition Board demanding severe punishment for the perpetrator.

[Image source=Asia Economy DB]

B’s mother wrote in the petition, "My daughter, who never complained and steadfastly pursued her dream, became a national jump rope athlete in April 2021. But the joy was short-lived as she suddenly said she wanted to quit," and added, "She told me through tears that the coach sexually assaulted her. It felt like the sky was falling and the ground was collapsing."

She continued, "The perpetrator, a national jump rope coach, approached kindly and made the young child trust and follow him, but within a few months, he turned and sexually assaulted my daughter," explaining, "At that time, my daughter was only in the second year of middle school, but the coach sexually exploited her incessantly."

Investigations revealed that A used his superior position as a coach to psychologically dominate and groom B, committing grooming sexual crimes. When B refused the sexual assault, A verbally abused and belittled her, even demanding, "Even if you have a boyfriend later, you must have sexual relations with me."

The police began investigating in September 2021 and applied for an arrest warrant for A in April of the following year. However, the court dismissed the warrant, citing no risk of evidence destruction or flight. Ultimately, A was tried without detention but was taken into custody in court following the verdict on the 28th. A’s side claimed the sexual relations were consensual, but the court rejected this argument.