Viewers Who Donated to BJs Live-Streaming Minor Sexual Exploitation Referred to Prosecution en Masse

Police: "Donations Directly Led to the Crime"

Viewers who sent donations to internet broadcasters (BJs) who live-streamed videos of sexual exploitation involving minors have been referred to the prosecution en masse.

On January 13, the Incheon Seobu Police Station announced that it had referred 161 individuals, including Mr. A, to the prosecution without detention on charges of aiding and abetting the production of child and youth sexual exploitation materials under the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse.

Reference photo to aid understanding of the article. Photo by Yonhap News

Mr. A and others are accused of sending donations to BJs who created content exploiting a minor, referred to as Mr. B, on an internet broadcasting platform on July 12 of last year, thereby facilitating the crime.

It was revealed that Mr. A and others sent donations to the BJs' accounts despite knowing that when a certain amount was reached, a roulette listing various sexual acts would spin and penalties would be carried out. The donations ranged from as little as 1,000 won to as much as 3.2 million won. The BJs, under the pretext of carrying out penalties, engaged in multiple instances of inappropriate physical contact with Mr. B.

Under the Criminal Act, aiding and abetting refers to acts that support, enable, promote, or facilitate the commission of a crime with knowledge of the specific preparations or the crime itself. For the charge to be established, the act of aiding and abetting must be closely related to the realization of the actual crime or contribute to increasing the likelihood of the criminal outcome. The police stated that they took into consideration the fact that viewers sent money in situations where the specific penalties were presented, which directly resulted in the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Initially, the police booked 280 individuals on charges of aiding and abetting for sending donations, but after investigation, excluded cases where accounts were duplicated or the individuals were below the age of criminal responsibility. A police official stated, "We investigated viewers who sent donations despite knowing that Mr. B was a minor and referred them to the prosecution," adding, "We will respond strictly to crimes against children and adolescents."