A former idol group member who was sentenced to prison in the first trial for secretly filming sexual intercourse scenes with a woman he was dating has appealed the verdict.
According to the legal community on the 7th, Choi Mo (28), who was indicted for violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (filming and distribution using a camera, etc.) and received a prison sentence in the first trial, submitted an appeal to the Seoul Western District Court on the 4th.
Earlier, on the 30th of last month, Judge Hong Da-seon of the Criminal Division 4 of the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Choi to 1 year and 6 months in prison and detained him in court, citing a risk of flight. Additionally, Choi was ordered to complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs and was banned from employment for 3 years at institutions related to children and adolescents as well as institutions related to persons with disabilities.
This sentence is less than the 3-year prison term requested by the prosecution. At that time, the court pointed out, "Illegally filming the victim's nudity causes extreme sexual shame, and such illegal filming can cause irreparable damage if distributed. Considering these points, the degree of infringement on the sexual self-determination rights of each victim is very serious."
The court explained the sentencing by stating that although Choi made deposits for two victims, the victims expressed refusal and petitioned for severe punishment. "However, considering comprehensively that the filmed materials were not distributed and that there is no prior record of punishment for similar offenses," the court gave the sentence.
Choi was prosecuted on charges of filming sexual intercourse scenes and major body parts of victim A, his partner from July 2022 to May last year, 18 times in photos and videos. He was also investigated for illegally filming three other victims, using a blindfold and a silent camera application (app) to commit the crimes.
Choi debuted in May 2017 as a member of a five-member idol group but stopped activities in 2019 due to health reasons. The group to which Choi belonged is currently inactive due to member departures and other reasons.
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