NCT former member Taeyil (real name Moon Taeyil) was sentenced to 7 years in prison for allegedly sexually assaulting a drunken woman in a group.
On the 18th, the 26th Criminal Division (A) of the Seoul Central District Court held the first trial date for Taeyil and two others on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (special aggravated rape).
On that day, the prosecution noted, "This is a very serious case where a foreign tourist, who was a complete stranger, was taken and gang-raped, and the nature of the crime is extremely poor," requesting the court to sentence Taeyil and co-conspirators Mr. Lee and Mr. Hong to 7 years in prison each, along with orders for treatment, public notification, and a 10-year employment restriction.
Taeyil and two co-conspirators are accused of sexually assaulting a Chinese national female tourist, referred to as 'A,' who was so drunk that she could not maintain her balance at the home of Mr. Lee in the Bangbae-dong district of Seocho-gu, Seoul at around 4 a.m. on June 13 of last year.
According to the prosecution's charges, they met A by chance at a bar in Itaewon at around 2:33 a.m. on the day of the crime, and when A became intoxicated, they took her by taxi to Mr. Lee's residence where the crime was committed.
After the crime, as daylight broke, they moved A to a location far from the residence and sent her away by taxi, during which Mr. Hong sent a message to Mr. Lee saying, "Get the taxi out to drive her away so that she ends up somewhere else." In this regard, the prosecution pointed out, "There seems to be an intention to deliberately use the fact that the victim was a foreigner to prevent her from remembering the crime scene or to hinder the police from tracking them."
The Seoul Bangbae Police Station identified their identities after receiving a report from the victim and tracking them down through inquiries and analyzing closed-circuit television footage. Subsequently, Taeyil and the two co-conspirators submitted confessions in August of last year, but the police requested an arrest warrant for them, which was rejected on the grounds that their recognition of the crime diminished the necessity for arrest.
Ultimately, the Seoul Bangbae Police Station transferred Taeyil and others to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office without detention on September 12 of last year, and the prosecution filed charges against them for special aggravated rape under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act on February 28 of this year. Special aggravated rape charges are established when a person engages in sexual intercourse or indecent acts against a person who is mentally incapacitated or unable to resist while possessing a dangerous object, and they are punishable by imprisonment for 7 years or more or life imprisonment.
However, the prosecution criticized, "For two months after the incident, the police persistently tracked and identified the defendants and conducted a search," questioning whether these circumstances could be regarded as true confessions as defined by law. They also raised doubts about the possibility of premeditated crime, stating that, "While the defendants claim it was an impulsive crime, one can question whether it is sensible to take a tourist they just met at 2 a.m. to a villa in Bangbae-dong."
In this regard, Taeyil and the two co-conspirators acknowledged all the charges. When questioned by the court whether he admitted to the charges, Taeyil replied, "I accept all of them." However, Taeyil's lawyer stated, "The defendant deeply realizes that his actions have left profound scars on the victim's life and feels deeply remorseful," asserting again that it was an impulsive crime and that the defendant only intended to drink more when he left the bar.
Taeyil also expressed in his final statement, "I deeply regret and apologize for the significant harm I caused to the victim, and I apologize to everyone who feels disappointed in me. If I am granted leniency, I believe it is the last opportunity given to me in my life, and I will do my best to live in a way that contributes to society in any way possible."
Meanwhile, Taeyil was expelled from NCT on August 28 of last year when news of the indictment came to light. His agency, SM Entertainment, stated, "We recently confirmed that Taeyil has been indicted in relation to a sexual crime. While understanding the facts surrounding the issue, we recognized that it was a very serious matter and determined that he could no longer continue team activities, leading to a discussion with Taeyil and the decision for him to leave the team."
Additionally, on October 15 of the same year, they terminated the exclusive contract with Taeyil. SM explained, "Taeyil is currently undergoing a prosecution investigation due to a criminal indictment, which constitutes a valid reason for termination of the exclusive contract, and due to the inability to maintain trust as an artist, we made the decision to terminate the contract in consultation with him."
The first trial sentencing date for Taeyil is scheduled to take place on July 10 at 2 p.m.
[Photo] OSEN DB
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