'Underage Student Sexual Assault' Former National Short Track Coach Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

A former national team junior short track coach who was prosecuted for forcibly molesting underage students during training was sentenced to three years in prison in the first trial.

On the 6th, the Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Southern District Court (Chief Judge Jeong Doseong) sentenced Lee (44), who was detained and indicted on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse (forcible molestation), to three years in prison around 2 p.m. that day. Additionally, Lee was ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and was banned from employment at institutions related to children, youth, and persons with disabilities for five years each.

Mr. Lee was charged with forcibly molesting teenage female students multiple times during the process of coaching them.

Lee argued that the prosecution could not specify the exact facts of the charges, claiming that the molestations occurred three times a week in the same manner, but the court did not accept this and found all the charges against Lee to be guilty.

The court stated the sentencing rationale, saying, "Considering the number of victims and targets, the circumstances and methods of the crimes, the relationship between the defendant and the victims, and the repetitive nature of the offenses, the criminal nature is severe. Since these crimes cause great harm to victims of child and youth sexual crimes, strict punishment is necessary."

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