Choi Chan-wook (26), who was charged with producing, distributing, or sexually harassing minors, denied the charges, saying that he had never threatened or coerced victims in the process of producing sexual exploits.
The 11th Criminal Division of the Daejeon District Court (Chief Judge Park Heon-haeng) conducted a trial preparation procedure for Mr. Choi, who was indicted on charges of producing and distributing habitual sexual exploitation under the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth in Court No. 316 today.
Choi's lawyer argued that the victim made the video by himself, saying, "There is no threat or coercion of the victims to produce sexual exploits."
He also claimed, "Mr. Choi perceived his actions as play and made the victims obscene, but there were also cases where the victims wanted stronger actions."
Some of the victims said that they demanded to change the roles of slave and master, and even forced Choi into a situational play.
Regarding the part where Choi met the children and forcibly molested them, he said, "It is difficult to identify all the victims and confirm whether they are related."
The prosecution applied for a change in the indictment, saying that the number of victims had increased from 65 to 70, and the court accepted it.
The next preparatory hearing will be held on the 5th of the following month at 10:45 am.
Choi is accused of being sent to 65 elementary and junior high school boys under the guise of a girl or a soccer coach for 7 years from 2014 to May of this year, and then having them film sexual acts.
From September 2016 to March last year, he similarly raped or forcibly molested three children he knew through SNS, and carried 1,950 pieces of child sexual exploitation from July 2016 to one year and seven months. Charges of storing and possessing the phone were also applied.
The Daejeon Police Agency released the identity of Choi by the resolution of the Personal Disclosure Deliberation Committee before sending it to the prosecution.
(Photo = Yonhap News)