Viewers who sent donations to internet broadcasters (BJs) accused of livestreaming sexual exploitation of a minor and thereby effectively taking part in the exploitation have been referred to prosecutors en masse on aiding and abetting charges.
Incheon Seobu Police Station said on the 13th it had sent 161 people, including a person identified as A, to prosecutors without detention on suspicion of aiding the production of sexual exploitation materials under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses.
A and others are accused of aiding the crime by sending donations to BJs who created content sexually exploiting a minor, a boy identified as B, on an internet streaming platform on July 12 last year.
They allegedly sent donations to BJ accounts despite knowing that once donations reached a certain amount, a roulette listing various sexual acts would spin and penalties would be carried out.
Donations ranged from as little as 1,000 won to as much as 3.2 million won. The BJs engaged in repeated inappropriate physical contact with B, citing the need to carry out penalties.
Under the Criminal Act, aiding and abetting refers to support that, with knowledge of specific preparations or the offense itself, enables, promotes or facilitates the act. For the charge to stand, the aiding act must be seen as closely related to the realization of the offense or contributing to increasing the likelihood of the criminal outcome.
Police said they considered the fact that viewers donated money after specific penalty details were presented, which led to the concrete outcome of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Police initially booked 280 donors on aiding charges but said they excluded cases after investigation where accounts overlapped or the person was a criminal minor.
Earlier, among the eight BJs who produced and broadcast sexual exploitation materials targeting B, one has been indicted and detained and is standing trial, while the remaining seven were sent to prosecutors without detention.