Taxi Driver Who Tried to Sexually Assault Passenger and Seized Taxi Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

On the 23rd, a taxi driver who was charged with attempting to sexually assault a female passenger intoxicated with alcohol was sentenced to three years in prison.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-ju] A taxi driver who was tried for attempting to sexually assault a female passenger intoxicated with alcohol was sentenced to three years in prison.

The 11th Criminal Division of Jeonju District Court sentenced A (44), who was indicted on charges including attempted quasi-rape, to three years in prison on the 23rd. He was also ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and was banned from employment at child and youth-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled for five years.

The taxi driver A is accused of attempting to sexually assault a female passenger B (49), who was heavily intoxicated, near Ajung-ri in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do, on the night of April 24, and then detaining her for three hours.

Additionally, A is charged with false accusation (perjury) for falsely claiming that "B took the taxi and drove it into him, causing injury."

Earlier that day, around 9:20 a.m., A picked up B in downtown Jeonju. During the approximately three hours that B was asleep, A repeatedly stopped and drove around near B’s residence and Ajungcheon Stream.

A stopped near Sanjeong-dong for about an hour and a half and attempted the sexual assault but failed.

As midnight approached, A went to the taxi garage in Palbok-dong to settle the daily fare quota.

When the taxi arrived at the garage, B drove A’s taxi while A went upstairs to the office. Being heavily intoxicated, B caused several accidents, including hitting parked taxis.

Then A took B again and stopped near an LPG gas station close to the garage and called B’s family. Taking advantage of the moment when A left the driver’s seat, B seized the taxi and fled.

B drove about 50 kilometers to near Beolgok Rest Area on the Honam Expressway in Nonsan, Chungnam, where she crashed into a 3.5-ton truck. B was arrested on charges of drunk driving. At the time, B’s blood alcohol concentration was 0.14%, which is at the license cancellation level.

The day after being investigated by the police for drunk driving, B submitted a petition stating that she was sexually assaulted while being detained by taxi driver A.

The court stated, "It is acknowledged that the defendant A touched the victim’s thigh and genital area," and "DNA of the defendant was found inside the victim’s thigh and jeans, confirming that the victim’s clothes were removed."

The court also noted, "Considering that the defendant committed the crime against a victim who was a passenger in a vehicle used for transportation, the victim’s desire for punishment, and the defendant’s admission of the crime."

B, who was charged with drunk driving after seizing the taxi and fleeing, received a suspended indictment considering the circumstances of the incident.

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