DNA Comparison Reveals Child Sexual Abuse from 18 Years Ago... Re-Arrested the Day Before Release

A man who broke into a home, threatened children with a weapon, sexually assaulted them, and fled was caught after 18 years.

The Women and Children Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Choi Jae-ah) announced on the 17th that A (42) was arrested on charges of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (Sexual Violence Punishment Act).

A is accused of threatening two children, aged 9 and 11 at the time, with a weapon and sexually assaulting them in a Seoul home in 2006.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office confirmed in November last year that DNA found at the scene of the incident matched DNA collected from another sexual crime committed by A in 2022, and notified the police. The case was then transferred to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office on the 5th after police investigation.

Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

A, who was imprisoned for another sexual crime, was originally scheduled to be released upon completion of his sentence on that day. However, the prosecution, judging that there was a high risk of flight, requested an arrest warrant on the 12th of this month, and the court issued the warrant on the 16th, four days later.

According to the revised Sexual Violence Punishment Act implemented in June 2013, sexual crimes against children under 13 whose statute of limitations had not expired before the enforcement date are excluded from the statute of limitations.

The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office stated, "Although the sexual violence crime against children was concealed and the offender almost returned to society, the prosecution swiftly investigated and re-arrested the suspect," adding, "The prosecution will continue to make efforts to strictly punish high-risk serious sexual offenders and prevent recidivism."

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