Police officer accused of hiding evidence in guilty verdict

A police officer is facing criminal charges of falsifying public documents, allegedly to help secure a conviction against a man suspected of a sex offense, according to a local media outlet on Thursday.

According to News1, the police lieutenant based in South Gyeongsang Province is suspected of falsely writing an investigative report on a 2023 sexual harassment case by excluding details about surveillance footage that would have cleared the suspect of a sexual harassment charge.

The problematic investigation involved a man in his 30s who met up with two minors via social media with the intent to pay for sex in June 2023. When he realized that the two were underage, he did not engage in intercourse with them himself but suggested that the two girls meet his acquaintance instead.

He was also accused of forced sexual harassment -- performing an indecent act by compulsion, according to the Criminal Act -- on one of the two girls inside the car.

Soliciting prostitution is punishable by up to three years in prison or a 30 million won ($20,445) fine, and forced sexual harassment is punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a 15 million won fine.

The man admitted to soliciting prostitution, but denied the second charge of harassment. However, the lieutenant forwarded the case to the prosecution suggesting he be indicted on both charges, which he was.

In his report, the police lieutenant left out information about surveillance footage that showed the inside of the man's car, which would have cleared him of the harassment charge. Court records showed that the officer clearly received the footage from the authorities, but he wrote in the investigative record that he was unable to acquire it.

The sexual harassment charge in the 2023 case was ultimately dismissed in last month’s ruling, as the court found the alleged victim's statements inconsistent. The defendant was fined 5 million won for the charge of soliciting prostitution.

In its ruling, the court stated that the police lieutenant falsely stated that he did not acquire the surveillance footage in the investigative report "for some reason." Based on this, the defendant's lawyer filed criminal charges against the lieutenant.

The police lieutenant declined to comment on the issue, saying it is an ongoing investigation.