Operator of Illegal Filming Site Avoids Detention

An arrest warrant for a woman in her 30s, identified as A, who allegedly operated the website 'AVMOV' for sharing illegally filmed content including sex offenses, has been denied by the court. On the 22nd, the Suwon District Court held a hearing for the arrest warrant for suspect A and made this decision. The court stated that it considered A's level of involvement in the crime, her stable residence, and her lack of prior criminal record.

Woman A, in her 30s, is accused of operating 'AVMOV' alongside a man in his 40s, identified as B. Launched in August 2022, AVMOV is an illegal site where users could secretly film and exchange body parts of family members and acquaintances, and download videos upon payment. The site has over 540,000 registered users. Its servers are located overseas, and access is currently blocked.

A and B reportedly fled to Thailand after police investigations began, then voluntarily returned to South Korea via Incheon International Airport on the 11th, where they were apprehended. The police applied for arrest warrants for both individuals the following day, but the prosecution only requested an arrest warrant for B, who was subsequently detained. After further investigation into A, the police reapplied for an arrest warrant, which was ultimately denied by the court. B was transferred to prosecutors while in custody.

Prosecutors plan to apply for the pre-indictment confiscation and preservation of criminal proceeds believed to have been pocketed by the two. Previously, police identified the 'AVMOV' site in December of last year and booked nine individuals suspected of being part of the operational team. Investigations are ongoing for six other unidentified individuals at an operator level, while 204 users of the site have surrendered to the police.