An employee of the Busan International Film Festival, who was indicted on charges of illegal filming, has been sentenced to prison.
On the 17th, the Busan District Court's Criminal Division 10, Judge Heo Seong-min, sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 40s, to 1 year in prison for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (use of cameras, etc.) and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program.
Mr. A was accused of filming a scene of sexual intercourse without consent with Ms. B, a woman in her 30s who worked as a short-term contract employee on the same team, in July 2023. He also allegedly took multiple photographs of his sexual encounters with Ms. B using his mobile phone in April of the same year.
Ms. B, having learned of the illegal filming only later, reported Mr. A to the police and the Korea Film Gender Equality Center in May of last year. Subsequently, the Busan District Prosecutors' Office indicted Mr. A in November of last year without detention and had sought a 3-year prison sentence during the trial.
The court recognized Mr. A's illegal filming charges while taking into account Ms. B's significant emotional distress and her desire for severe punishment. Despite Mr. A having paid a substantial amount in restitution, it is known that Ms. B has consistently emphasized her lack of intention to accept it. However, the court considered the fact that the filmed material had not been distributed when deciding the sentence.
Mr. A went to trial while on paid leave due to the criminal case being filed against him. The executive committee of the Busan International Film Festival is expected to make a decision regarding disciplinary action based on the trial outcome.
[Photo] OSEN DB.
[OSEN]