A man in his 60s who called himself "God," psychologically dominated his stepdaughter and female followers, and habitually committed sexual violence has been brought to trial. It was revealed that he even mobilized an incumbent public official to track down a follower who left.
The Namwon branch of the Jeonju District Prosecutors' Office said on the 23rd that it indicted A (68) under detention on charges including violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (forced indecent act by a family relationship), quasi-rape, false accusation, and violation of the Personal Information Protection Act. Follower B (42) and public official C (53, female), who illegally looked up the victim's personal information on A's orders, were also indicted without detention on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act.
According to prosecutors, from July 2023 to March last year, A committed quasi-rape against follower D (54), and from January to April last year, habitually committed forced indecent acts against stepdaughter E (31). When the victims left the sect or filed a complaint against him, A led organized secondary harm. He ordered others to find the address of the departed D, and public official C provided information through a public work system.
When stepdaughter E filed a criminal complaint against him for sexual offenses, A filed a countercomplaint in December last year, calling it a "false report." Prosecutors deemed this a serious secondary harm and also applied the charge of false accusation to A.
The full picture of the case forwarded by police was revealed through supplementary investigation by prosecutors. Using scientific investigative techniques, including statement analysis by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, they secured the credibility of the victims' statements and confirmed that A exploited a relationship of religious trust to commit the crimes.
On the 6th, prosecutors detained A and sought an electronic monitoring order, while providing protective measures such as psychological counseling to the victims. An official at the Namwon branch said, "We will respond strictly to crimes that disguise themselves as religion and do our best to protect the public."