A young shaman in his 20s, identified as A, was given a suspended prison sentence for luring a minor to a motel under the pretense of performing an exorcism and subsequently committing sexual assault.
The Jeju District Court’s Criminal Division 2, presided by Judge Lim Jae-nam, sentenced A to 2 years and 6 months in prison with a 4-year suspension for charges including violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sexual Offenses (rape). The court also ordered probation, mandatory completion of 40 hours in a sexual violence treatment program, and a 5-year restriction from employment at organizations related to children, youth, and the disabled.
In early February, A reportedly lured the minor victim he met through a chat application to a motel, promising an exorcism. He then forcibly assaulted the victim who resisted. A documented the crime and threatened to send the video to the victim’s parents and friends. The same day, he took the victim to another motel, held them captive, and assaulted them again. Two days after the crime, A further threatened the victim, saying he would “kill everyone around them.”
During the trial, A pleaded for leniency, claiming he had a mental illness that caused him to cough up blood or lose memory without reason and only realized the crime after regaining his senses post-exorcism.
The court remarked that while A’s crime against the young victim was grave, it took into account his lack of a prior criminal record, his remorse, and the agreement reached with the victim in deciding the sentence.