Two major K-Pop stars were convicted on Friday of raping multiple drunk women who were unable to consent, with one of the singers also sentenced for making videos of the sex acts that were later shared across the internet.
Jung Joon-young, 30, and Choi Jong-hoon, 29, were found guilty in a Seoul courtroom on multiple rape charges, with Jung sentenced to six years in prison because of the offenses, and Choi sentenced to five years for his culpability in the crimes, according to multiple news outlets.
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According to the New York Times, the judge in the case threw the proverbial book at both men during sentencing, calling them out for their offenses against multiple women as part of his verdict (below):
“The accused perpetrated sexual crimes against multiple women, degrading women and treating them as mere tools of sexual pleasure. It’s hard to fathom the pain the victims must have suffered.”
Wow…
According to the media reports, both men have one week to appeal the charges now that they’ve been convicted in court. Furthermore, the courts also ruled that each man must complete 80 hours of sexual violence treatment programs in an effort to rehabilitate themselves along with the time served in prison.
Jung quit the music industry back in March when news of the accusations against him first broke. Per BBC News, he spoke out during his final testimony in court on Friday, too, saying:
“I deeply regret my foolishness and I feel great remorse. From now on, I shall only … live in remorse.”
No kidding.
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This comes just eight months after he was first implicated in the matter back in the spring. Even then, Jung sounded remorseful after being caught, telling the media at the time:
“I am truly sorry. I admit to all charges against me. I will not challenge the charges brought by the investigative agency, and I will humbly accept the court’s decision. I bow my head in apology to the women who were victimized by my actions.”
And now, eight months later, it’s determined he and Choi will spend a few years’ each in prison to atone for some of the horrors that they’ve perpetrated upon innocent women.
CNA News has more about the sentencing, live from Seoul (below):
Obviously, this is a huge scandal in K-Pop; it’s part of the larger so-called Burning Sun Scandal, which is named after the nightclub in which the sex acts took place. At least ten women were victims, found to be engaging in sex acts against their consent, and/or while they were unaware they were or unable to consent to being filmed, according to media reports.
Now, though, at least the scales of justice have been tipped against the perpetrators of these heinous crimes… if only for a few years. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments (below)…
[Image via CNA News/YouTube]
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