‘Serial Child Sex Offender’ Kim Geun-sik Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison on Appeal

1st Trial: 4 Years Imprisonment → 2nd Trial "Serious Crime Nature and Severe Punishment Inevitable" 5 Years Imprisonment

Kim Geun-sik, a child sex offender who was re-arrested a day before his release after being exposed for forcibly molesting a child 17 years ago, was sentenced to five years in prison in the appellate court.

Kim Geun-sik, who committed a series of sexual assault crimes against minors.

The Criminal Division 3-2 of Suwon High Court (Presiding Judges Kim Dong-gyu, Heo Yang-yoon, Won Ik-seon) on the 15th sentenced Kim Geun-sik, who was charged with violating the Act on the Punishment of Sexual Crimes and Protection of Victims (rape of a minor under 13), to four years in prison. For assaulting a correctional officer (obstruction of official duties) and repeatedly assaulting fellow inmates (habitual assault), he was sentenced to one year in prison.

The court stated, "In the original trial's ruling on sexual assault, the defendant was subjected to the Act on Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, but this was a legal error," and "therefore, the appellate court overturns the original ruling regarding the sexual assault charges and the electronic monitoring order."

It continued, "However, due to the defendant's bad criminal nature, habitual offenses, and lack of victim restitution, severe punishment is inevitable," ordering four years imprisonment, five years of public disclosure of personal information, completion of 200 hours of sexual violence treatment programs, ten years of electronic monitoring device (electronic anklet) attachment, and three years of employment restrictions at child and youth-related institutions and institutions related to persons with disabilities.

Regarding the charges of assaulting a correctional officer at Haenam Prison in Jeollanam-do in December 2019 and July 2021, and repeatedly assaulting fellow inmates from 2017 to 2019, the court upheld the first trial's judgment and sentenced him to one year in prison.

Previously, Kim Geun-sik was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting 11 minors in the Seoul metropolitan area from May to September 2006 and was scheduled to be released on October 17 last year. However, he was re-arrested a day before his full release due to newly revealed charges of forcibly molesting a child in Incheon 16 years ago. Nonetheless, after reviewing police reports filed by the victim's guardian at the time, it was confirmed that Kim Geun-sik was not the perpetrator in that molestation case.

Subsequently, Kim Geun-sik was identified as a suspect in an unsolved forcible molestation case that occurred near an elementary school in Gyeonggi-do in September 2006, and was eventually indicted and detained last November.

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