Threatening and Sexually Assaulting Those Attempting to Enter Porn Rooms or Acquaintance Humiliation Rooms
Obtaining Personal Information to Coerce Victims
Prosecutors investigating the cyber sexual violence crime group known as "Jakyungdan" have uncovered additional offenses committed by the ringleader, Kim Nokwan (33), leading to further indictments. Eleven accomplices who participated in the production and distribution of sexual exploitation materials have also been brought to trial.
Jakyungdan is a criminal organization that threatened to expose the personal information of people who posted body photos on social media (SNS), engaged in compensated dating, or attempted to enter Telegram "porn rooms" or "acquaintance humiliation rooms." By making such threats, they coerced victims into sending nude photos and, in some cases, committed actual sexual assaults.
The Jakyungdan Special Investigation Team at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Kim Ji-hye, Chief of the Women's and Children's Crime Investigation Division 1) has indicted Kim, known as "the Pastor," three additional times since his initial arrest and indictment in February. They have also detained and indicted Cho (34, female), known as "Senior Evangelist," and Kang (21), both of whom played key roles in the group. Nine male teenagers who acted as "Evangelists" or "Prospective Evangelists" were also indicted without detention.
In February, prosecutors indicted Kim, the leader of the organization, on charges including forming a criminal group, producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials, coercing the use of illegal recordings, quasi-rape, intimidation, rape of children and adolescents, distribution of fake videos, and disclosure of personal information. Since then, prosecutors have uncovered additional similar crimes, resulting in three more indictments.
Prosecutors have identified numerous offenses committed by Kim and his associates against 10 new victims, and also confirmed Kim's crimes against 17 victims from previously adjudicated cases. Through securing criminal records of those involved with Jakyungdan, they determined that a previously unidentified accomplice in one case was, in fact, Kim. The number of victims identified by prosecutors has increased from 234 to 261. Prosecutors explained that this is three times the number of victims in the similar Telegram "Nth Room" case and is the largest such case in South Korea. Kim and his associates produced approximately 2,000 pieces of sexual exploitation material.
Cho, an hourly worker who played the role of Senior Evangelist by recruiting, training, and directing group members, and Kang, a university student, have been charged with producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials, as well as coercion and intimidation, among other offenses.
The nine individuals who acted as Evangelists or Prospective Evangelists?responsible for identifying victims, operating Telegram channels, producing and distributing sexual exploitation and fake videos, and threatening victims?were all teenagers. Among them, six were high school students, two were university students, and one was unemployed.
Prosecutors sought arrest warrants for four of these individuals, but the court reportedly denied the requests, citing the fact that they were minors at the time of the crimes or are currently minors, and that there was no risk of flight or destruction of evidence. The prosecution stated, "We will do our utmost to maintain the indictments so that severe sentences appropriate to the gravity of the crimes are imposed, and we will continue to respond firmly to digital sexual crimes with a zero-tolerance policy."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
