"Claimed They Were in Love,"
Partially Denied Charges
A man in his 30s, who was indicted on charges of committing dozens of sexual offenses against a minor he met as a teacher and student at church, has been sentenced to five years in prison by the prosecution.
According to the legal community on January 17, during the final hearing of a case involving violations of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sexual Offenses (sexual intercourse by abuse of authority, etc.), held on January 12 at the 14th Criminal Division of Suwon District Court (Presiding Judge Ko Kwonhong), the prosecutor requested that defendant A be sentenced to five years in prison, be ordered to complete a treatment program, be subject to a seven-year employment restriction, and have his personal information disclosed and notified.
The prosecutor cited the following reasons for the sentencing request: the defendant committed sexual intercourse and acts similar to sexual intercourse with the underage victim by means of coercion, the nature of the crime is extremely egregious, the defendant has denied the offense and shown no remorse, and the victim has petitioned for a severe punishment for the defendant.
From August 2019 to June 2020, A was indicted without detention in May last year on charges of sexually assaulting or attempting to sexually assault victim B, who was 17 years old at the time, on dozens of occasions by means of coercion, as well as engaging in acts similar to sexual intercourse. Prosecutors believe that A committed these crimes after gaining B's emotional and psychological trust by fulfilling her wishes and making her dependent on him.
Prosecutors determined that A, who was a high school teacher at the church at the time, was well aware of B's vulnerability-she was unable to leave the church easily because, due to her family's circumstances, she could not receive proper care from her parents and relied on the church. This was also corroborated by entries in B's diary, which included statements such as, "(A) came to my house, and I was scared because no one was there," and "I left because my grandmother was coming soon," among others.
While A admitted to physical contact with B, he claimed they were in a romantic relationship and denied any forced sexual relations. During the final hearing, when the judge asked, "You were 32 at the time, and the victim was 17, making a 15-year age difference. Your wife was pregnant and about to give birth at the time, yet you claim you and the victim were in love?" A replied, "Yes."
A's attorney argued, "The victim reported the incident one year and five months after the breakup, apparently at the urging of family members. Seeing the defendant, who had left her, continue with his family may have caused her anger, increasing the likelihood of her making statements that differ from the facts after the fact." In his final statement, A said, "I regret having a relationship with a minor," but partially denied the charges, stating, "However, I never threatened or forced her in any way."
The sentencing hearing is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. on February 12.
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