Leader of Telegram sextortion ring that has preyed on hundreds unmasked by cops

Kim Nok-wan, 33, has been revealed down the individuality of a enactment transgression ringing that has exploited much than 234 individuals since 2020, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency

The person of a Telegram sextortion ringing that preyed connected hundreds of victims has been unmasked by constabulary successful South Korea.

Kim Nok-wan, 33, has been revealed down the individuality of a enactment transgression ringing that has exploited much than 234 individuals since 2020, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Authorities disclosed the suspect's name, age, and photos connected its website Saturday and the determination to merchandise Kim's idenity came pursuing a gathering connected January 22.

The fishy had sought to artifact the accusation by filing a petition with the Seoul Administrative Court. However, it was rejected by the court. According to police, Kim, who besides called himself "Pastor", allegedly ran a web of encrypted Telegram chat rooms wherever helium would sexually exploit 234 men and women implicit 4 years. 159 of the victims were teenagers. The radical ran connected the encrypted messaging work Telegram and they would usage backstage accusation to blackmail dozens of women and children into performing sexually explicit acts connected camera.

The apprehension comes 5 years aft a Seoul tribunal sentenced the ringleader of the Nth Room, 1 of the largest online enactment trafficking rings successful South Korea, to 40 years successful jail. The Seoul Central District Court recovered Cho Ju-bin blameworthy of violating laws to support minors from intersexual maltreatment and of operating a transgression ringing by producing and selling horrific abusive videos. “The accused has wide distributed sexually abusive contented that helium created by luring and threatening galore victims,” the tribunal said.

The radical besides ran connected the encrypted messaging work Telegram and they would usage backstage information, often obtained illegally, to blackmail dozens of women and children into performing sexually explicit acts connected camera, with thousands of users paying cryptocurrency to watch. Police said astatine slightest 74 women, including 16 teenagers, were portion of the “virtual enslavement” betwixt May 2019 and February 2020.

The ringing caused a immense outcry successful South Korea, prompting millions of Koreans to motion petitions urging constabulary to merchandise Cho's individuality and analyse the transgression ring. Prosecutors had wanted a beingness condemnation arsenic 1 of his victims said they were "evil" and deserved to beryllium jailed for "2,000 years." The transgression ringing consisted of astatine slightest 124 suspects. "I apologise to those who were wounded by me," 24-year-old Cho said arsenic helium was led distant from a Seoul constabulary station. "Thank you for putting a brake connected the beingness of a devil that could not beryllium stopped."