"I will create the 'Second n번방'"... Teenager who extracted personal information to produce and distribute sexual exploitation materials

[Image source = Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Eun-young] A teenager indicted for producing and distributing sexually exploitative materials by conspiring to create a 'second n번방' was sentenced to five years in prison in the first trial.

On the 22nd, the 12th Criminal Division of Jeonju District Court (Chief Judge Kim Yu-rang) announced that A (19), who was indicted for producing and distributing child and adolescent sexual exploitation materials on Telegram (violating the Youth Protection Act, etc.), was sentenced to five years in prison. He was also ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and was banned from employment at child and adolescent-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled for 10 years.

A was prosecuted for creating a phishing site over five days starting November 22 last year, secretly collecting 22 pieces of personal information, and threatening two adolescent victims to produce 53 sexually exploitative materials, which were then distributed on Telegram.

Investigations revealed that A conspired with people gathered through a post titled "Looking for team members to develop the second n번방" posted in a Telegram group chat in November last year to create the "second n번방."

After creating the phishing site, he stole personal information of victims who accessed it and identified two victims who stored private personal information on their SNS accounts.

A and others used this as leverage, threatening the victims by saying, "If you don't do as told, I will inform your parents," and "I will distribute it to acquaintances." Feeling fear, the victims sent them sexually related videos and photos.

The videos sent by the victims were distributed intact in the Telegram group chat. A is also known to have distributed 34 photos and videos of child and adolescent pornography that he separately stored in the Telegram group chat.

The court stated, "The defendant is a first-time offender and is remorseful and reflective of his crimes," and "It is acknowledged that his degree of involvement in the crime appears lower compared to other accomplices."

However, the court added, "Using a phishing site to steal personal information of child victims and threatening them with this weakness to force them to shoot obscene materials is a very serious offense," and "Considering the organized nature of the crime and the fact that the victims likely suffered extreme mental distress and anxiety," explaining the sentencing rationale.

Nonetheless, the court did not order detention in court, considering that A suffers from cerebellar infarction and spinal instability.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.