A 25-year-old South Korean who masterminded one of the world’s largest online sexual blackmail rings was sentenced on Thursday to 40 years in jail after being found guilty in a case which caused national outrage.
Prosecutors had sought life term for Cho Ju-bin, saying his crimes were “unprecedented in history”. Other associates in the ring were sentenced to imprisonment from seven to 15 years.
Cho was found guilty of blackmailing at least 74 people, including 16 minor girls, into providing sexually compromising images and videos, and hosted chatrooms where at least 10,000 people watched the explicit content.
“The accused has widely distributed sexually abusive content that he created by luring and threatening many victims,” Yonhap news agency quoted the Seoul Central District Court as saying on Thursday.
An investigation was launched into the case after two university journalism students found the groups on Telegram last summer.
In March, the 25-year-old college graduate was arrested and his name was made public by the police in an unusual step after five million people signed petitions demanding his identity be revealed.
The judge ruled on Thursday that he was also guilty of “instructing a third party to directly rape a victim, who was a minor”.
Apart from 40 years in jail, Cho was fined 10.64 million Korean won (£7,200) and ordered to undergo round-the-clock monitoring by wearing an electronic ankle bracelet for 30 years after his release from prison.
The Korean government began using electronic anklets in 2008 to monitor those convicted in sex crimes.
Police arrested about 124 suspects in the case, including 8 operators of chatrooms on Telegram and other social media in March.
France President Macron Says Russia Must Answer For War Crimes In Bucha Ukraine 
Seven Countries Jointly Call On Taliban To Ensure Rights 
Two Russian soldiers killed and 28 ill ‘after being given poisoned food by Ukrainian civilians’ 
