"Female Middle School Victim 'Does Not Wish Punishment'... Parents Petition for Severe Punishment" 20s Man Sentenced for Assisting Runaway and Molestation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] A man in his 20s who helped a middle school girl run away from home and sexually assaulted her multiple times over three days under the pretext of protection was sentenced to prison.

According to the legal community on the 11th, the 29th Criminal Division (Chief Judge Kim Changhyung) recently sentenced A (28), an animation production worker, to two years in prison and ordered his immediate detention in court on charges including violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (forcible molestation). He was also ordered to complete 80 hours of a sexual violence treatment program and was banned from employment at child and youth institutions for five years.

A was tried on charges of keeping B, a middle school girl who ran away from home in May last year, at a motel for three days and committing acts of molestation and sexual abuse. The prosecution judged that he committed these crimes by exploiting the difficult situation of the runaway youth.

According to the investigative agency, A told B, who was contemplating running away, that he would help her, and when she actually asked for help, he booked a motel for her to stay. Even after being contacted by B’s parents, he lied in ways that could confuse efforts to find her whereabouts, forced B to remove the SIM card from her phone, or made her lie himself, attempting to conceal the crime.

Earlier, A’s side pleaded in court, "We admit all the charges and deeply regret it," asking for leniency. However, unlike B, who expressed that she did not want A to be punished during the investigation, B’s parents petitioned for severe punishment, and no settlement was reached.

The court pointed out, "A’s criminal intent, method, and the nature of the crime are serious," adding, "He used the victim, who was emotionally unstable at the time and still in need of protection from family and society, as an object of sexual desire." It continued, "This is expected to have a significant negative impact on the victim’s future value formation and personality development," and ruled, "Considering the victim’s parents’ petition for severe punishment, A’s admission and remorse, and the fact that he has no prior criminal record, the sentence is determined."

Meanwhile, Article 305-2, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Act, revised last year under the Ministry of Justice’s initiative, stipulates that a person aged 19 or older who has sexual intercourse with or molests a minor aged 13 or older but under 16 shall be punished regardless of the minor’s consent.

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