'Offline Grooming Crimes' Also Punished... Child and Youth Act Amendment Passed by National Assembly

Punishment for Mere Possession or Viewing of Child Sexual Exploitation Materials
"Stronger Protection for Victims of Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence in Government Agencies"
Amendments to the Framework Act on Gender Equality and the Sexual Violence Prevention Act Also Passed

The amendment to the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth from Sexual Abuse, which expands the punishment for grooming crimes?crimes that entice sexual conversations and acts for the purpose of sexually exploiting children and adolescents?from online to offline, passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 2nd.

This law includes provisions for punishing offline grooming crimes and attempted crimes. It also expands the institutions subject to employment restrictions for sex offenders to include foreign educational institutions, youth organizations, and alternative education institutions, and newly establishes regulations for imposing fines.

To prevent recidivism of sex offenders, it allows for orders to complete sexual violence treatment programs during the treatment and custody phase.

The current provision that punishes those who purchase, possess, or view child and youth sexual exploitation materials with imprisonment of one year or more, only if they "know" the materials are exploitative, has been amended by removing "knowing," so that purchasing, possessing, or viewing such materials alone results in the same punishment.

Additionally, an child-friendly evidence preservation procedure, which guarantees the defendant's right to cross-examination while protecting child and youth victims from secondary harm, has been introduced identically to the Sexual Violence Punishment Act.

Yonhap News

On the same day, amendments to the Framework Act on Gender Equality and the Act on the Prevention of Sexual Violence and Protection of Victims, which strengthen protection for victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence occurring in government agencies, also passed the National Assembly.

Through this, victims of sexual harassment and sexual violence within government agencies can receive protective measures such as reassignment of the perpetrator by the head of the agency.

The amendments also include imposing confidentiality obligations on employees responsible for handling such cases. The amendment to the Framework Act on Gender Equality prohibits and punishes disadvantageous measures against victims and reporters of sexual harassment cases.

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