NextSharkNextShark.com

South Korea sentences man to 4 years for sexual abuse in the metaverse

South Korea sentences man to 4 years for sexual abuse in the metaverse

A South Korean man was sentenced to four years in prison for storing sexually exploitative content of minors he lured on the metaverse.

September 12, 2022
SHARE
A South Korean man was sentenced to four years in prison for storing sexually exploitative content of minors he lured on the metaverse.
The 30-year-old man used an avatar and fabricated his age on a South Korean metaverse platform. He offered gifts to minors to draw them into filming and sending images of their bodies from December 2021 to March of this year, according to reports.
He was accused of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth. On top of his four-year jail sentence, he must attend 80 hours of treatment programs for sex criminals.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

The offender was also banned from working at any establishment related to teenagers and the disabled for seven years. 
“The quality of the crime is extremely bad by targeting the victims of children and adolescents who do not have an established conception of sexuality and lack the ability to protect themselves, to satisfy their distorted sexual desire. It is reasonable to hold them accountable,” the Uijeongbu District Court reportedly said
According to the sentencing, the exploitative content was not distributed or made for profit.
Shin Hyun-young, a lawmaker for the opposition Democratic Party, led a proposal in June to sanction sexual offenses committed in the metaverse. Due to concerns regarding the protection of youth and personal information, South Korea’s science ministry also proposed eight ethical principles for the metaverse, including authenticity, autonomy, reciprocity, respect for privacy, fairness, data protection, inclusion and responsibility.
 
Featured Image via Minh Pham
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Michelle De Pacina

      Michelle De Pacina is a New York-based Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.