Sentenced to Five Years in Prison on Appeal for Sexual Assault of a Minor
Court Dismisses Claims of Consensual Relationship and Prosecutorial Misconduct
Ordered to Complete Sexual Violence Treatment Program and Employment Restrictions
Incident Occurred Before the "Baksa-bang" Crimes
Cho Joo-bin, the main perpetrator of the so-called "Baksa-bang" (Doctor's Room) case on Telegram, has been sentenced to five years in prison on appeal for the sexual assault of a minor. Cho is already serving a confirmed 42-year prison sentence for producing and distributing child sexual exploitation materials.
The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 9-1 (Presiding Judges Gong Doil, Min Jihyun, and Lee Jaehyuk) sentenced Cho Joo-bin, who was indicted for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse and other charges, to five years in prison, the same as the original trial. The court also ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and imposed a five-year employment restriction at facilities for children, juveniles, and persons with disabilities.
The court rejected Cho Joo-bin's claim that he had consensual sexual relations with the victim as part of a romantic relationship, stating, "The victim has consistently maintained that she was not in a romantic relationship and only complied with the defendant's demands." The court added, "Even in the video evidence, the victim appears to reluctantly comply with the defendant's instructions and orders."
The court also dismissed Cho Joo-bin's arguments that the prosecution abused its authority or that the sentencing in the first trial was unjust.
Cho Joo-bin was charged with sexually exploiting and assaulting the victim, who was a minor at the time in 2019. This incident occurred prior to the so-called "Baksa-bang" crimes.
From May 2019 to February 2020, Cho Joo-bin was prosecuted for threatening dozens of female victims, including children and juveniles, to produce sexual exploitation materials, which he then sold and distributed through Baksa-bang. In October 2021, the Supreme Court confirmed his 42-year prison sentence.
In February of last year, the Supreme Court also confirmed an additional four-month prison sentence for Cho Joo-bin in a separate case where he and accomplice Kang Hoon were charged with forcible molestation.
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