A former Yangsan City Council member, accused of repeatedly molesting a female staff member of the city council, has been sentenced to prison and taken into custody in court.
On October 13, the Ulsan District Court Criminal Division 6 (Presiding Judge Lee Hyunkyung) sentenced former council member Kim Taewoo, who was indicted on charges of molestation through abuse of occupational authority, to one year and six months in prison and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program.
Kim, who was taken into custody immediately after the sentencing, was accused of habitually molesting Ms. A, a female employee of the city council, for about 10 months starting in July 2022.
He was found to have made physical contact with Ms. A on multiple occasions and sent her text messages late at night.
After the incident, Kim left the People Power Party and resigned from his council position in March of last year.
Previously, during the sentencing hearing held in September, the prosecution requested that the court sentence Kim to three years in prison, impose a three-year employment restriction, and order him to complete a 40-hour sexual violence prevention program.
The court stated, "The defendant molested the victim on nine occasions over approximately 10 months, and considering his position as a city council member with a significant responsibility to prevent sexual violence, the severity of the crime is grave."
The court further explained the sentencing, saying, "We considered the fact that the molestation was repeated over a long period, that the victim suffered both physical and psychological distress as secondary harm even after reporting the incident, and that the defendant initially denied the charges during the investigation but only later expressed remorse and apologized."
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