Former Child Actor and Equestrian Threatening Ex-Girlfriend with 'Nude Photo Distribution' Receives Suspended Sentence

National Equestrian Athlete Former Representative's Arrest Warrant Hearing
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Soyoung] A former child actor and ex-national equestrian athlete was sentenced to a suspended prison term for threatening to distribute nude photos secretly taken of his ex-girlfriend.

The 1st Criminal Division of the Bucheon Branch of Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Eom Cheol) sentenced A (28), who was indicted on charges including violation of the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (threatening to use filmed materials) and gambling, to two years in prison with a three-year suspension and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program at the sentencing hearing held on the 18th.

The court stated, "Considering the methods used by A, the mental distress felt by the victim is expected to be considerable," and added, "Given the significant amount of money A embezzled, the nature of the crime is very serious."

It continued, "A should be strictly punished," but also noted, "However, considering that A reached a settlement with the victim and that this is his first offense, these factors were comprehensively taken into account."

Earlier, at the prosecution’s closing arguments on the 14th of last month, the prosecution requested the dismissal of charges related to intimidation and causing anxiety under the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, and sought a three-year prison sentence for A’s other crimes.

During the trial, A’s defense attorney stated, "A confessed to the crimes during the three-month detention period and is a first-time offender," and requested, "Considering the settlement with the victim, the victim and family’s wish not to pursue punishment, the minor degree of the victim’s sexual shame, and the fact that the videos were not distributed, please give the young victim one more chance."

In his final statement, A said, "I am sorry. I reflect on my wrongful actions, and I apologize to the victim and am grateful for her forgiveness," and asked for leniency.

A was indicted for secretly filming B’s nude body with a mobile phone in July last year and repeatedly threatening from December last year to January this year to distribute the photos and videos if she did not meet him again.

He is also charged with habitual gambling, having accessed illegal online gambling sites and participated in gambling games, depositing about 4 billion KRW over approximately 1,300 times into illegal gambling sites.

Earlier, at the end of January, B filed a complaint with the police, stating, "From December last year until recently, A threatened to distribute photos and videos showing my nude body and demanded money."

B claimed, "From July to December last year, A took about 140 million KRW by borrowing money, secretly filmed photos and videos without consent, and threatened to distribute them, demanding 100 million KRW per video."

Meanwhile, A, who previously worked as a child actor, represented the country three times as a national equestrian athlete at the Asian Games.

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