After Brainwashing Stepdaughter and Female Followers as 'God,' Pseudo-Religious Leader Faces Sexual Crime Charges and Trial

Prosecution: "Committed grotesque acts solely for sexual gratification"

The leader of a pseudo-religious group who brainwashed his stepdaughter and female followers by claiming to be a "god" and committed sexual crimes has been brought to trial. It was revealed that he even targeted his own stepdaughter and mobilized a current civil servant to track down a follower who had left the group.

Yonhap News reported on January 23, citing the Namwon Branch of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office, that the leader, identified as A (age 68), was indicted and detained on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (forcible molestation by a relative), quasi-rape, and making a false accusation. Two others, follower B (age 42) and civil servant C (age 53, female), who illegally accessed the victim's personal information at A's direction, were also indicted without detention for violating the Personal Information Protection Act.

Waving Prosecutor's Flag. Photo by Yonhap News

A is accused of molesting and quasi-raping a woman in her 50s, a follower, by touching parts of her body between July 2023 and March 2024. He is also accused of habitually molesting his stepdaughter from January to April 2024, and in December of the same year, falsely accusing her of reporting him for a sexual crime.

The prosecution considered the act of a sexual offender filing a complaint against the victim itself as a serious secondary offense and therefore added the charge of making a false accusation against A.

Investigations found that A committed the crimes after brainwashing his followers so they could not refuse his words or actions, insisting he was a "divine being."

The prosecution conducted supplementary investigations into the case forwarded by the police, uncovered specific details of the crimes, and brought A to trial. Considering the risk of reoffending, they also requested an order for electronic monitoring. In addition, they took protective measures by connecting the victims to psychological counseling through the Crime Victim Support Center.

A prosecution official stated, "The leader exploited religious trust to brainwash followers and establish himself as a divine figure. He used this status to commit grotesque acts solely for sexual gratification." The official added, "Through thorough supplementary investigations, the prosecution has uncovered additional sexual crimes, false accusations, and new facts regarding the leader's harmful actions. We will do our utmost to maintain the indictment so that the leader receives punishment commensurate with the severity of the crimes."