A man in his 20s has been indicted on charges of committing sexual abuse against teenagers through online platforms including YouTube, according to the prosecution on Monday.
According to the Seoul Northern District Prosecutor's Office on Monday, the suspect enticed minors by posting messages seeking a "slave" on various online platforms, including YouTube, between January 2022 and March of this year.
He allegedly demanded the teenagers who responded to his message to send explicit photographs of their bodies, including sexual parts.
The prosecutors disclosed that a total of 17 victims, including both children and teenagers, were involved in the case. Among the victims, 14 were boys.
The suspect is reported to have possessed some 700 photographs of juveniles and sexually harassed one teenager by visiting the victim’s home in person.
Currently, there appears to be no evidence that any of the incriminating material was released to the public, the prosecutors said.
The prosecutors plan to request a court order for confiscation of the suspect’s property such as his personal computer to prevent any leakage of the material.
“Sexual crimes on digital platforms aimed at juveniles will be treated strictly in accordance with a zero-tolerance policy. Any such attempts will be met with the harshest punishment,” the prosecutors said.
