Charges filed under Punishment of Violences Act

Assault and attempted extortion of 200,000 won

A court building [Herald Business DB]
A court building [Herald Business DB]

A person in their 20s who lured a man to a motel under the pretense of a paid sexual encounter, then assaulted and attempted to rob him, has been sentenced to one year in prison.

Judge Lee Jun-min of the sixth criminal division of the Busan District Court recently handed down the one-year sentence to the suspect, identified only as A, on charges including joint extortion and joint assault under the Punishment of Violences Act.

A, along with two accomplices, allegedly lured a man in their 40s to a motel in Busan in December 2023, assaulted the victim and attempted to steal money and valuables.

The group posted an offer for a paid sexual encounter on a smartphone chat application and used it to lure the victim, who had responded to the post, to the motel.

After one accomplice brought the victim into a room, A and the others burst in from the hallway, shouting "She's my girlfriend," and threatened the victim. They then dragged the frightened victim to a parking lot across from the motel, surrounded the victim and demanded 200,000 won ($150) as a settlement.

To prevent the victim from calling police, A choked the victim and punched the victim in the face seven to eight times.

The victim managed to break free and flee without losing any money or valuables. However, the victim sustained injuries requiring about two weeks of treatment.

After the incident, A fled to Cambodia for an extended period without appearing for a warrant review hearing.

The court said it imposed a prison term because the defendant committed the crime during a repeat-offender period shortly after being released from a prior sentence, and because A had failed to appear for the warrant review hearing before fleeing abroad for an extended time.


notstrong@heraldcorp.com