30s Assistant Pastor Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Sexual Crimes Against Congregation

A 39-year-old assistant pastor, who committed multiple sexual crimes against church members during his pastoral activities, received the same prison sentence in the appeals court as in the original trial.

On the 27th, the Seoul High Court's Chuncheon Division 1 Criminal Court (presiding Judge Lee Eun-hye) announced that both the defendant and the prosecution's appeals were dismissed in the case of defendant A, who was charged with statutory rape of a minor, and confirmed the original sentence of 7 years in prison.

While serving as an assistant pastor, A stood trial for allegations of committing sexual acts and assault against his victims, who were church members.

In particular, it was revealed that A used a "grooming" technique, creating a close relationship under the pretext of counseling, and exercised psychological control to commit sexual assault and intercourse on 16 occasions over a period of one year with one victim.

During the appeals process, A submitted letters of reflection 13 times and even presented a pledge to prevent recidivism, pleading for leniency from the court. During the first trial, he submitted as many as 74 letters of reflection.

However, the appeals court pointed out, "By exploiting the interpersonal trust, the defendant took advantage of his victims, who were still physically and mentally immature and lacked sufficient judgment and self-defense capability, classifying them as children and adolescents in need of protection to satisfy his sexual urges, which is highly condemnable."

Moreover, the court mentioned, "Up until this point, the defendant has not received forgiveness from the victims. Rather, the parents of the victims have petitioned through their lawyer for strict punishment of the defendant to this court, following the original trial."

Ultimately, the court stated, "After thoroughly reviewing and considering both parties' claims, we do not find the original sentence to be excessively heavy or light," thus dismissing both appeals.

Meanwhile, regarding the prosecution's request for an electronic monitoring order, the court noted, "There is a need to assess the risk of reoffending more strictly, and the original trial's judgment on this matter is justified," and did not accept the request.

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