The ringleader of a group that committed sexual exploitation crimes against hundreds of minors and adult men and women on Telegram under the name of a so-called 'vigilante group' has been handed over to the prosecution.
The Cyber Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency sent Mr. A (33) to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the 24th morning with a prosecution recommendation on charges including producing sexual exploitation materials targeting male and female victims including minors and organizing a criminal group.
At around 8:30 a.m. that day, Mr. A, who left the Seongdong Police Station in Seoul, did not respond at all to reporters' questions such as "Are you not sorry?" and "Why did you commit the crime?" and hurriedly got into the escort vehicle.
Mr. A is accused of forming the vigilante group in May 2020 and committing crimes such as producing and distributing child and youth sexual exploitation materials, rape (causing injury) of children and adolescents, threats, coercion, forced molestation, and quasi-rape through Telegram until January of this year. The total number of victims is 234 men and women, of which 159 are teenagers.
Mr. A, who called himself a 'pastor' and acted as the ringleader, was arrested on the 17th on charges including sexually assaulting 10 minor teenage girls. Mr. A also approached men interested in so-called 'jinin-neungyok' on social networking services (SNS) and women who expressed sexual curiosity, obtained personal information via Telegram, and threatened to distribute it.
The vigilante group included 11 teenage minors, including one 15-year-old middle school student and six high school students. Additionally, 73 people who were recruited into the vigilante group and participated in cyber sexual violence, such as creating and providing deepfake sexual exploitation materials of acquaintances, were identified; 40 were arrested and one was sent to detention.
The police held a personal information disclosure review committee regarding Mr. A on the 22nd and are currently reviewing whether to disclose his personal information.
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