Man in 30s Denies Charges in Trial for Raping High School Girl After Threatening to Expose "Jogeonmannam"

"Posing as a university student and mutually agreeing" Denies Charges

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] A man in his 30s who raped a high school girl by threatening to reveal their "conditional meeting" has retracted his confession and denied the charges in court.

The 12th Criminal Division of the Gwangju District Court (Presiding Judge No Jae-ho) held the third trial on the 19th for Mr. A (32), who was indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles Against Sexual Abuse (rape).

Mr. A was charged with approaching a female adolescent who posted about a conditional meeting on a chat application, threatening to reveal it to others, and forcibly having sexual intercourse twice between 2018 and 2019.

The victim initially posted about the conditional meeting but deleted it because she did not want it; however, Mr. A, who had related photos, threatened to distribute them on the internet, forcing her to comply with his demands.

Afterward, the victim suffered mental shock and, while receiving counseling from a women's rights organization, decided to file a complaint earlier this year.

Originally, Mr. A had given statements to the investigative authorities confessing, but on this day in court, he completely denied the charges.

During the trial, he suddenly requested to express his opinion on the prosecution's charges.

He claimed, "I did not know she was a minor because she initially lied about being a 20-year-old university student," and "Although it is claimed that I forced sexual intercourse, I remember it was because I needed money."

Mr. A plans to newly appoint a private lawyer and present detailed opinions going forward.

The court said, "Since you are also undergoing trial for a voice phishing case, it might be difficult to focus on this case, but please appoint a lawyer by the next trial date."

Since the defendant currently denies his charges, it is expected that the victim's witness examination will take place later.

The next trial is scheduled for December 10.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Mr. A has a prior record of being fined for facilitating prostitution.

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