Police Request Arrest Warrant for Son Jung-woo of 'Welcome to Video'... Additional Charges of Concealing Criminal Proceeds

Pretrial Detention Hearing Next Monday

Son Jung-woo, the operator of the world's largest child sexual exploitation site "Welcome to Video," was released on the afternoon of July 6 after the court's decision to deny extradition to the United States, leaving Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police have applied for an arrest warrant for Son Jeong-woo (25), who operated the world's largest dark web child and adolescent sexual exploitation site, "Welcome to Video (W2V)".

The Cyber Investigation Division of the National Police Agency announced on the 6th that they applied for an arrest warrant for Son on charges including violation of the Act on the Regulation and Punishment of Criminal Proceeds Concealment. Following the prosecution's request for the arrest warrant, the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant hearing) for Son will be held on the morning of the 9th at the Seoul Central District Court.

This investigation began when Son's father filed a complaint with the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in May this year to prevent his son's extradition to the United States. At that time, Son's father claimed that during the prosecution's past investigation of Son on charges such as producing and distributing obscene materials, they did not investigate or prosecute related to criminal proceeds concealment. He also requested an investigation into the allegation that Son paid his grandmother's hospital bills with criminal proceeds, thereby damaging her honor.

The police arrested Son in March 2018 through international cooperation and transferred him to the prosecution. After supplementary investigation, the prosecution indicted him on charges of producing and distributing obscene materials under the Youth Protection Act and distributing obscene materials under the Information and Communications Network Act. Son was sentenced to two years in prison with a three-year probation in the first trial and was released, but in the second trial, he was sentenced to one year and six months in prison and was taken into custody in court.

He did not appeal to the Supreme Court afterward, so his sentence was finalized in May last year, and his sentence expired on April 27 this year. However, he was not released because the U.S. Department of Justice requested extradition, and he has been undergoing extradition review. Subsequently, the Seoul High Court ruled in July to deny Son's extradition.

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