Church teacher sexually assaulted a teenager while his wife was pregnant

A man in his 30s, who committed sexual crimes against a minor he met at church, has been sentenced to prison in the appellate court. The above photos are stock images unrelated to the article content/Photo=Getty Images
A man in his 30s, who committed sexual crimes against a minor student he met at church, has been sentenced to prison in the second instance following the first instance.
According to News1 on the 17th, the Suwon High Court sentenced Mr. A, a man in his 30s who was indicted without detention on charges of violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles against Sexual Abuse, to 6 years in prison, the same as the original sentence.
Along with this, the court ordered him to complete 40 hours of sexual violence treatment programs and imposed a 5-year employment restriction at institutions for children, juveniles, and the disabled.
The second instance court stated, "The defendant admitted to the crime in this instance and deposited a settlement fund for the victim, but the victim still reports mental suffering, is pleading for severe punishment, and has expressed a refusal to receive the deposit."
The court further ruled, "Given the method, frequency, and duration of the crime, the nature of the offense is poor, making it difficult to see the aforementioned circumstances as grounds for changing the sentencing."
Mr. A, who was a high school department teacher at a church, is accused of having had sexual intercourse with or attempting to have sexual intercourse with a teenage girl, B, through the use of power dozens of times from August 2019 to June 2020. It is reported that at the time of the crime, Mr. A had a family and his wife was pregnant.
The prosecution determined that Mr. A knew that B was relying on the church because she was not receiving proper care from her parents and was in a situation where she could not easily leave the church, so he made her emotionally and psychologically dependent on him before committing the crime.
In the first instance, Mr. A argued that he "did not use power" and claimed that he and B were in a loving relationship. However, the first instance court found all of the prosecution's charges against Mr. A guilty based on B's diary, a complaint submitted by B's uncle, and B's statements to investigative agencies.
B recorded all the details of the sexual assault and quasi-sexual acts in her diary and even attached photos. She also wrote that she suffered criminal damage despite expressing her refusal and that she has suffered from trauma since then.
The first instance court sentenced him to 6 years in prison, which was one year higher than the prosecution's demand of 5 years. Although Mr. A appealed, the appellate court's decision remained the same.
Reporter Yoon Hye-ju (heyjude@mt.co.kr)