This image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
This image is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

A man in his 60s who repeatedly sexually abused his young niece for years and produced child sexual exploitation material has had his prison sentence upheld on appeal.

The Jeju Criminal Division 1 of the Gwangju High Court, presided over by Chief Judge Song O-seop, overturned the lower court's ruling Wednesday but maintained the original eight-year prison sentence. The court also exempted the defendant, identified only as A, from the requirement to have his personal information publicly disclosed. He had been indicted on charges including violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes — specifically rape of a minor under 13.

A was brought to trial on charges of repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting his niece, who was under 13, between 2023 and 2025, and of producing child and youth sexual exploitation material using a mobile phone.

The appeals court rejected sentencing challenges raised by both the defense and the prosecution.

"The defendant exploited the fact that the victim was young and a relative, leaving her unable to resist, and repeatedly committed the offenses — making the nature of the crimes and his culpability grave, with significant grounds for moral condemnation," the court said. "The sentence set by the lower court does not appear to be either excessively harsh or unduly lenient." The court nonetheless exempted A from the public disclosure order, ruling that because the victim is a relative, releasing his personal information could identify her and risk causing secondary harm.


choigo@heraldcorp.com