Son of suspect in Seongbuk teen's murder steals again after sex-crime referral; gets suspended sentence

[Financial News] The son of a man in his 50s arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenage woman in Seongbuk District, Seoul, has been found to have committed a series of thefts even after being referred on suspicion of sex crimes against the victim, and was sentenced to prison with the sentence suspended.
According to legal sources on the 11th, the Seoul Western District Court’s Criminal Division 10, presided over by Judge Sung Jun-gyu, sentenced A, a man in his 20s indicted on theft charges, on the 15th of last month to six months in prison, suspended for two years.
A was indicted on charges of stealing valuables from three men who had arranged so-called “sex-for-money dates” through a random chat app at motels in and around Eunpyeong and Gwanak districts of Seoul between May and June.
A took advantage of the moments when the victims went into the bathroom to shower. He stole cash, checks and US$300, among other things, and also fled with about 500,000 won in cash and six lottery tickets from another victim.
The court found that “the offenses were reprehensible given the relationship between the defendant and the victims, as well as the circumstances and manner of the thefts.” It took into account, however, that he admitted to all the crimes and showed remorse, that the losses were not very substantial, and that he had no significant prior criminal record.
A had previously been referred by police without detention in March on suspicion of committing a sex crime against a teenage woman. The case was transferred from the Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office in April and is currently under investigation.
Meanwhile, at around 1:40 a.m. that day, Seongbuk Police in Seoul urgently arrested a man in his 50s, A’s father, on suspicion of murdering the teenage woman at a shared lodging facility in Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk District. Police are investigating his specific motive, including the possibility that the crime was retaliation connected to his son’s sex-crime case.

[email protected] Choi Seung-han Reporter