A person in their 40s identified as a top-tier operator of AVMOV, an illegal site distributing illicit recordings with about 540,000 subscribers, has been sent to prosecutors in custody. Police also reapplied for an arrest warrant for another operator.
The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency said on the 21st that it sent A, in their 40s, to the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office in custody on suspicion of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes.
Police reapplied for an arrest warrant for another operator, B, in their 30s.
Police arrested A and B at Incheon Airport on the 11th. After the police investigation began, they left for Thailand, then, after measures such as passport invalidation were taken, signaled through their attorney that they would voluntarily return, according to reports.
Police applied for arrest warrants for both on the 12th, the day after the arrest, but prosecutors sent back the warrant request for B. A was taken into custody on the 13th.
Police believe A and others were top-tier operators involved in running the site, directly posted numerous items, and pocketed a significant portion of the criminal revenue.
For the criminal proceeds, police also plan to seek pre-indictment preservation for forfeiture and collection.
Police detected the AVMOV site during monitoring in December and launched an investigation, booking nine people believed to be operators.
AVMOV, a site created in Aug. 2022, was found to have shared videos secretly filmed of family members, partners, and acquaintances. The videos could be downloaded using paid points, and the site is currently blocked.
Subscribers were found to number about 540,000.