(LEAD) Key member of sexual blackmail ring gets 34 years in prison
(ATTN: ADDS info in paras 3-4, 8-10)
ANDONG, South Korea, April 8 (Yonhap) -- A court on Thursday sentenced a key member of an online sexual blackmail ring to 34 years in prison for coercing dozens of women and girls into sharing sexually explicit videos of themselves.
A district court in the southeastern city of Andong convicted Moon Hyung-wook, 24, of operating the sexual exploitation chatrooms on Telegram and producing and distributing thousands of obscene videos of female victims.
"The defendant caused irreparable damage to the victims and his antisocial crime that violates human dignity deserves a severe punishment," the court said in the ruling.
The court also ordered him to wear an electronic bracelet for 30 years.
Moon, known by his username GodGod, was arrested in May 2020 in the shocking case that sparked public fury.
He was indicted the following month on 12 counts, including the violation of laws on protecting minors from sexual abuse. The prosecution had demanded a life sentence.
Cho Ju-bin, the leader of the operation, was sentenced to 40 years in prison last November.
The duo and other accomplices were found to have forced at least 74 people, including 16 minors, into filming sexually abusive content and sold them to the members of their Telegram chatrooms, called "nth room."
Prosecutors said Moon produced and possessed sexually explicit videos of 21 girls from early 2017 to early 2019 and blackmailed three parents of his victims by threatening to release such videos.
He was also found to have uploaded 3,762 such videos on the messaging app from February 2019 to January 2020.
(END)
-
New BTS song 'Film Out' tops Japan's Oricon weekly chart
-
S. Korea, U.S. authorities assess N.K. has completed building new 3,000-ton submarine: sources
-
'Dynamite' becomes 3rd BTS video to top 1 bln views
-
Mamamoo to hold online concert on British streaming platform next month
-
'Fake Love' becomes 4th BTS video to top 900 mln views
-
(Yonhap Feature) How young voters, once solid supporters of liberal causes, turned against Moon's party in by-elections
-
Moon takes election rout as 'reprimand' from the public, Cheong Wa Dae says
-
Boy band TXT to perform on Ellen DeGeneres show in latest global push
-
From Rose to Baekhyun, K-pop group idols also shine as solo acts
-
BTS to stream concerts in weekend Bang Bang Con event
-
S. Korea, U.S. authorities assess N.K. has completed building new 3,000-ton submarine: sources
-
(2nd LD) AstraZeneca vaccine rollout resumed, those under 30 excluded
-
S. Korea, U.S. closely watching N. Korean moves on SLBMs, new submarine: JCS
-
(LEAD) New virus cases back under 600 on fewer tests; curbs extended amid spring resurgence
-
S. Korea voices 'grave concerns' over Japan's expected decision to release Fukushima water into sea