By Oh Sang-jin Reporter= Former Lotte Giants pitcher Seo Jun-won (23), who was accused of sex crimes involving minors, was sentenced to six years in prison by prosecutors.
The prosecution asked for six years in prison during the determination hearing on Seo’s charges of violating the Act on Sexual Protection of Children and Adolescents (production and distribution of sexual exploitation materials, etc.), which was held at the Busan District Court’s Criminal Division 5 (Chief Judge Jang Jong-seok) on the 23rd.
The prosecution said, “Even though he was a first-time offender and a minor, he produced sexual exploitation materials against his victims. As a public figure, he should be an example to society, but he committed a serious crime with a large social impact,” the prosecution explained. “It seems that he is not sincerely remorseful for the crime, claiming that he did not know that the victim was a minor despite the clear conversation (with the victim) in the investigative agency,” the court said, adding that it also took into account “the agreement with the victim.”
Seo’s defense team argued that “it was only a one-time offense, and he did not go on to commit additional crimes such as distributing the video of the actual victim, and he also settled with the victim.” “As a result of this incident, he was suspended from the Korea Professional Baseball Players Association, released from his club, and divorced from his wife,” the defense said, adding that he is doing his best to find a new job and is trying to raise his 2-year-old child.
In his closing argument, Seo Jun-won said, “I am ashamed and regretful that I tried to release the stress accumulated from the strict life control and parenting within the club in a crooked way. I am truly sorry to the victim, and if I am given the chance again, I will work hard to live a proper life for my parents, wife, and son,” he appealed.스포츠토토
At the first hearing on May 31, Seo admitted the charges but claimed that he was not aware that the victim was a minor, but at the second hearing on June 14, he reversed his position, admitting all the charges and agreeing with all the evidence.
According to the prosecution’s indictment, Seo Jun-won is accused of sending 60 sexual messages to the victim, whom he met through a KakaoTalk open chat room on Aug. 18 last year, pretending to pay her pocket money and asking her to send nude photos.