"20s Man Given Probation for Forcibly Molesting High School Girl with 'I'll Give You Money, So Touch Me'"

Court: "Victim Likely Felt Significant Sexual Discomfort... Crime Not Minor"

A man in his 20s was sentenced to a suspended prison term for forcibly molesting a minor high school girl he met through a KakaoTalk open chat room.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Seohyun] A man in his 20s who called a high school girl he met in a KakaoTalk open chat room to his home and sexually assaulted her was sentenced to a suspended prison term.

On the 2nd, the Criminal Division 11 of Uijeongbu District Court (Presiding Judge Lee Munje) announced that it sentenced A, a man in his 20s who was tried for violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (sexual assault), to one year in prison with a two-year suspension.

He was also ordered to perform 120 hours of community service, attend 40 hours of sexual violence treatment lectures, and was banned from working at child and youth-related institutions and welfare facilities for the disabled for two years.

A is accused of calling teenage B, whom he met through a KakaoTalk open chat room in 2019, to his home and forcibly touching her breasts and buttocks.

At the time, B, who was sitting on the bed, grabbed A’s hand and expressed refusal when he approached her and groped her body with his hand, but A continued the assault, saying things like "I will give you money if you touch my genitals" and "Is it okay if I take it out and masturbate?"

Frightened, B immediately left the house, and nearby closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage captured A following B outside the house. It was also confirmed that A sent KakaoTalk messages apologizing for the physical contact with B.

A’s lawyer claimed, "The defendant had physical contact with the victim with her consent, so there was no sexual assault." However, the court rejected this, stating, "Considering the circumstances recognized by the evidence, the victim’s testimony is credible, and it is sufficiently proven that the defendant sexually assaulted the minor victim."

The court ruled, "The defendant invited the minor victim to his home, hugged her, and touched her buttocks, which is a serious offense."

It added, "Considering the significant sexual discomfort felt by the victim, the fact that the victim did not forgive the defendant, various circumstances favorable and unfavorable to the defendant, and the situation after the crime, the sentence was determined accordingly."

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