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TWA

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Seoul —A South Korean court on Monday sentenced 33-year-old Kim Nok-wan to life in prison. He operated an online blackmailing network through which he sexually exploited or abused 261 people, including more than a dozen underage boys and girls whom he assaulted over a period of four years. Kim was arrested in January.

The Seoul Central District Court stated that, given the “severity and brutality of his crimes,” it was necessary for Kim to be “permanently isolated from society.” The court also sentenced 10 of his accomplices to two to four years in prison. Authorities say this is the largest cybersex crime case ever recorded in the country.

How the Blackmailing Network Operated

Beginning in August 2020, Kim targeted:

Women who posted sexual content on social media
Men who attempted to enter encrypted Telegram chat rooms

Kim blackmailed these individuals by threatening to leak their content unless they recruited more victims. In this way, he built a pyramid-style blackmail network, where he and his associates created and spread fake or manipulated sexual images of the victims. Most of the victims were minors.

Details of the Crimes

According to court records:

Kim sexually assaulted or physically attacked 16 victims, including 14 minors.
13 assaults were filmed.
Nearly 1,700 manipulated or exploitative images/videos were produced.
Around 260 files were distributed online to intimidate victims who resisted.
Kim also attempted to blackmail some victims’ families and employers.

Accomplices Were Also Involved

Other perpetrators — including five minors — knew that the people they were recruiting would become victims of similar sexual exploitation, but continued out of fear that their own images would be leaked.

Court’s Response

The court stated:

“Most of the victims were children or teenagers, and these crimes caused them severe physical and psychological suffering.”

It added that harms from online sexual crimes escalate rapidly, and once such material spreads, it is almost impossible to remove completely, making victims’ recovery extremely difficult.

Strong Public Outrage

Kim’s arrest and the revelations have sparked widespread anger across the country.
The verdict comes nearly five years after the same court sentenced Jo Joo-bin to 40 years in prison for coercing dozens of women — including minors — into producing sexual videos and selling them.