20-Year-Old Sentenced for Illegally Filming 20 People in Bathroom

Possession and Sale of Child Sexual Exploitation Material
Cheongju District Court Sentences Defendant to 2 Years and 6 Months in Prison

A man in his 20s who illegally filmed men's bodies in restrooms and sold child sexual exploitation materials was sentenced to prison.

On the 23rd, the Criminal Division 22 of Cheongju District Court (Chief Judge Oh Sang-yong) sentenced a man in his 20s, identified as A, who was detained and prosecuted on charges including violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse, to 2 years and 6 months in prison, according to Yonhap News Agency. The court also ordered A to be banned from working at institutions related to children, adolescents, and persons with disabilities for 3 years and to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program.

Cheongju District Court Exterior

A was prosecuted on charges of secretly filming the bodies of 20 people with his mobile phone in a men's restroom in Changwon, Gyeongnam, from February to September last year. He is also accused of receiving and storing about 10 illegal videos, including footage taken in the men's bathhouse changing room where customers were changing clothes, which were sent to him by an acquaintance from May to September of the same year.

A was caught by police posing as a buyer while storing about 300 pieces of child sexual exploitation material collected from social networking services (SNS) and selling some of them. Investigations revealed that he committed these crimes due to homosexual tendencies.

The court pointed out, "The defendant's guilt is serious as he took photos of victims with his mobile phone or possessed the photos on his phone," but explained the sentencing rationale by saying, "However, considering the relatively small number and amount of sexual exploitation materials sold and the absence of prior similar offenses, the sentence was determined."

Meanwhile, the National Police Agency announced that from January to September last year, there were a total of 5,323 cases of illegal filming using cameras or similar devices, averaging 19.4 cases per day. According to Article 14 of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes, anyone who films a person's body that may arouse sexual desire or shame against the subject's will using a camera or similar device is subject to imprisonment of up to 7 years or a fine of up to 50 million won.