Police Officer in His 30s Sentenced to 4 Years for Illegally Filming Women Met on Dating App

A police officer in his 30s has been sentenced to four years in prison for secretly filming women he met through a dating app. He committed illegal filming 100 times against 15 victims, and his crimes were exposed when one victim reported him.

The Busan District Court's Criminal Division 3 sentenced police officer Mr. A, in his 30s, to four years in prison, and ordered him to complete a 40-hour sex offense treatment program and be restricted from working at institutions related to children, youth, and the disabled for three years. Mr. A was indicted for allegedly secretly taking photos with his mobile phone while women were asleep, from June 2024 to August of last year. Mr. A's crimes were revealed when a female victim reported it to 112. Police confirmed the illegal filming during the process of confiscating and searching Mr. A's mobile phone.

The court pointed out that Mr. A attempted to downplay or conceal his wrongdoing in court and did not show a sincere remorseful attitude toward the victims. According to the court, Mr. A attempted to approach some victims to minimize and conceal his crimes as the investigation closed in. The court noted that Mr. A did not properly express remorse for the victims, arguing about procedural issues during the investigation.

Judge Park stated, "Most of the victims are suffering from severe psychological aftereffects, and they are particularly concerned about secondary harm due to the fact that the perpetrator is a police officer." He added, "The defendant, a police officer tasked with preventing crime, maintaining social order, and protecting citizens, has severely damaged public trust through his actions, making it impossible to avoid punishment," explaining the sentencing reasons. The court deemed severe punishment unavoidable due to the damage to public trust.