A former supervisor at the North Chungcheong Provincial Office of Education, who illegally filmed the bodies of 41 people by installing hidden cameras at six locations including a training facility, pleaded mental instability at the time of the offenses at the first trial.
On the 13th, at the first hearing on charges of violating the Act on Punishment of Sexual Crimes (filming using a camera, trespassing into a multiuse facility for a sexual purpose) before Senior Judge Cho Jin-yong of the Cheongju District Court Criminal Division 6, former North Chungcheong Provincial Office of Education supervisor A applied to the court for a psychiatric evaluation.
A's attorney said, "Since January this year, severe mental problems have emerged, and A said even A could not understand or control them," and added, "A is currently receiving psychiatric treatment and taking medication, and wants to identify the exact symptoms through a psychiatric evaluation," explaining the reason for the request.
However, the court said, "If the psychiatric evaluation is for sentencing purposes, it appears it would cause procedural delay," and did not accept the request.
At the hearing, A admitted all charges but argued the crimes were not committed targeting any specific individual.
When the presiding judge asked why A brought a camera to the training facility, A answered, "I did not bring it with the crime in mind," and "I also do not know why I brought it at that time."
Earlier, A was brought to trial on charges of installing hidden cameras at six places—including an education training facility, a relative's home, and a restaurant's public restroom—from early this year to February, and illegally filming the bodies of a total of 41 people. A total of 47 illegal recordings were found on four miniature cameras used in the crimes.
Upon learning of the case, the North Chungcheong Provincial Office of Education convened a disciplinary committee on Mar. 24 and dismissed A.
A's next hearing is on Jun. 1.