"Appealed to the Supreme Court but" Middle School Teacher Sentenced to 8 Years for Sexually Exploiting Female Middle School Student via Chat Confirmed

Middle School Teacher Sexually Exploited Female Student for Two Years
No Sentence Reduction Even After Settlement with Victim

A former middle school teacher who committed sexual exploitation crimes over two years against a female middle school student he met through chat was sentenced to a heavy prison term.

On the 11th, Yonhap News reported that the Supreme Court recently upheld the original court ruling sentencing former middle school teacher Mr. A to 8 years in prison on charges including rape under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sexual Offenses by dismissing his appeal.

Mr. A was prosecuted for sexually exploiting a female middle school student he met through random chat by repeatedly raping her over two years. At the time of the crimes, he was an active middle school teacher but left the teaching profession due to this case. The prosecution received the case from the police while Mr. A was not detained, but after analyzing the victim's testimony and further investigation, they indicted Mr. A with detention. Mr. A, who was sentenced to 8 years in prison in the first trial, appealed claiming the sentence was too harsh.

Smartphone chat. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.

Mr. A posted a criminal bond of 50 million won in the first trial and later reached a settlement of 35 million won with the victim in the appellate trial. He also obtained a written agreement from the victim stating "no desire for punishment" and submitted it to the court. He submitted letters of apology more than 20 times in an attempt to reduce his sentence. However, the appellate court did not accept Mr. A's claims.

The appellate court stated, "The defendant targeted a victim whose sexual values were not yet established and committed sexual exploitation," and pointed out, "The victim continues to suffer from severe mental distress and aftereffects, making full recovery difficult." Regarding the sentencing rationale, the court explained, "Even considering the victim's economic difficulties and the submission of a settlement and a letter of no desire for punishment as favorable circumstances for the defendant, the 8-year prison sentence falls within the recommended sentencing guidelines and is not considered heavy," adding, "The minor's intention not to seek punishment is not a decisive reason for a significant sentence reduction."

Mr. A again appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, but the Supreme Court found the original ruling correct and dismissed the appeal.