Kim Nok-wan, the leader of the sexual violence group known as the 'vigilante group,' has had his life sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court.
On September 10, the Supreme Court's second division, led by Justice Kwon Young-jun, upheld the life sentence originally imposed on Kim for violations of the Youth Protection Act, the Sexual Violence Punishment Act, the Child Welfare Act, forced molestation, and rape.
The court also maintained the original ruling that includes a 30-year electronic monitoring order, a 10-year employment restriction in institutions related to children, youth, and the disabled, and a 10-year public disclosure and notification order. In total, Kim has been found guilty of 25 different crimes.
In addition to Kim, two other defendants who participated in the crimes under the title of 'evangelist' received prison sentences of two years and six months and one year and six months, respectively.
From August 2020 to January of last year, Kim organized the 'vigilante group,' which became the largest cyber sexual violence crime group in the country, referring to himself as a pastor within the organization. They were arrested and indicted in February of last year for allegedly sexually assaulting minors and producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials.
According to prosecutors, the vigilante group used social media to identify women who posted physical photos or sought casual encounters, or to gather personal information about men trying to enter Telegram groups focused on adult content. They then threatened to distribute this information, obtaining nude photos and producing and distributing sexual exploitation materials, with some victims being lured and directly sexually assaulted.
A total of 261 individuals have been identified as victims of the vigilante group, a figure that exceeds the 73 victims from the previously notorious Telegram 'Doctor's Room' case. The sexual exploitation materials produced and distributed by Kim and his associates are estimated to number over 2,000.
In the first trial, held in November of last year, Kim was sentenced to life imprisonment. Ten other defendants, who were also indicted for directing crimes or seeking victims while holding titles such as 'senior evangelist,' 'evangelist,' and 'prospective evangelist,' received various prison sentences and probation. However, the court found them not guilty of charges related to organizing, joining, or participating in a criminal group.
The second trial court upheld the original ruling, confirming Kim's life sentence and maintaining the not guilty verdict on the criminal organization charges. The court criticized Kim, stating, "There was no minimum respect for human dignity in the defendant Kim Nok-wan. The physical and mental pain, shame, humiliation, and despair that the victims felt during the commission of the crimes are beyond measure."
Most of the vigilante group members, including Kim, appealed the original ruling, but the Supreme Court's decision remained unchanged. The court stated, "Even considering the various circumstances claimed in the appeal, it cannot be seen that the original ruling of life imprisonment is extremely unfair," and dismissed the appeal, confirming the sentence.
Meanwhile, another female accomplice who acted as an 'evangelist' in the vigilante group, identified as Jo, had her five-year prison sentence confirmed by the Supreme Court in June.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.