Former T-ara member Beautiful (real name Lee A-reum, 31) was sentenced to two years of probation for child abuse and defamation charges.
According to the legal community on the 17th, the Ansan branch of the Suwon District Court's Criminal Division 9 (Director General Yoon Sang-do) held a sentencing hearing for Lee the previous day, sentencing her to 8 months in prison with 2 years of probation. The court also ordered her to attend 40 hours of child abuse prevention lectures.
Lee is accused of emotionally abusing children by swearing at her ex-spouse in front of them and defaming A, who publicly disclosed a court ruling regarding her boyfriend, on an internet broadcast.
The court noted regarding the child abuse charges, "She acknowledges all the allegations and has inflicted significant psychological harm on the lawful guardian of the victim child, which is severely condemnable."
Regarding the defamation charge, the court said, "While there was no intentionality in defaming victim A, the lack of effort to verify the facts about the unreasonable content leads to the conclusion that there was at least 'negligent intent.' Especially considering that the statements were made during a broadcast and the relationship with the victim, the goal of defamation is acknowledged."
The court also sentenced Lee's mother, who was indicted alongside Lee for child abuse, to 4 months in prison with 1 year of probation. Lee's mother is accused of neglecting her grandchildren by allowing them to stay in an environment where her daughter would swear at her ex-son-in-law from 2021 to 2022.
Lee joined T-ara as a member in July 2012 but withdrew a year later in July of the following year. She married a businessman two years her senior in 2019 and has two sons, but revealed in December 2023 that she was in the middle of a divorce lawsuit. At the same time, she indicated plans to remarry with a new partner.
Afterward, Beautiful claimed via social media (SNS) that her ex-husband had abused her throughout their marriage and had also abused the children. The police investigation found no evidence to support charges of child abuse against her ex-husband, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office ruled 'no charges' (insufficient evidence) against him.
Lee is currently remarried to her boyfriend and announced the birth of her third child in November last year while she is pregnant with her fourth. In August of the previous year, Lee was also sent to the prosecution without detention on suspicion of borrowing and not repaying about 37 million won from fans and acquaintances together with her husband.