Graduate Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Filming and Sharing Footage of Female Teachers in High School

Busan District Court Sentences Graduate in His 20s to One Year in Prison
One Classmate Receives Suspended Sentence, Others Fined
Court: "Schools Must Also Be Safe Spaces for Teachers"

A high school graduate in Busan has been sentenced to prison in the first trial for illegally filming female teachers during his enrollment and sharing the footage with classmates.

According to Yonhap News on May 28, Judge Park Byoungjoo of the Busan District Court Criminal Division 12 sentenced a man in his 20s, referred to as A, to one year in prison and ordered him to complete 40 hours of a sexual violence treatment program. He was convicted of violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes (filming using cameras, etc.), among other charges. However, the court did not detain A in custody, citing a low risk of flight and the necessity to provide an opportunity for victim restitution.

Of the six classmates who aided and abetted A’s crimes despite knowing about them, one was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years. Two others were fined 10 million won and 3 million won respectively, while the remaining three received a suspension of sentence on a fine of 2 million won each.

A is accused of illegally filming eight female teachers approximately 180 times between May and November of last year while attending a high school in Busan. He then shared the footage with classmates via a messenger app or watched it together with them. The classmates were also brought to trial for aiding and abetting the crime, such as accompanying A to the filming locations despite knowing about the offenses.

In the ruling, Judge Park stated, "A school must be a safe space not only for students but also for the teachers who guide them," adding, "Given the methods and details of the crimes, as well as the relationships between the defendant and the victims, the level of culpability is not light." He further pointed out that digital sex crimes are especially condemnable due to the difficulty of completely deleting the footage and the high potential for further distribution.

The court noted, "We considered in sentencing that the victims likely suffered significant psychological distress and sexual humiliation, that the defendants have not been forgiven by the victims, and that there have been calls for severe punishment."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.