Man in His 60s Arrested for Molesting Girl Under 13 at Sauna; Repeat Offense With Prior Record

A man in his 60s has been arrested by police for molesting a girl under the age of 13 who was briefly left alone at a sauna. The man was found to have a prior record of forcibly molesting a child at a sauna. He has been arrested and transferred to prosecutors on charges of molesting a child at a sauna again.

Seoul Western Police Station said Monday that it arrested a man in his 60s, identified only as A, on Aug. 28 on charges of forcible molestation (the crime of compelling unwanted physical contact through force or threats).

A is accused of approaching a girl under 13 at a sauna in Eunpyeong District, Seoul, on Sept. 5, saying "Let's play together," before undressing and molesting her. According to the investigation, the victim had visited the sauna with her family and was attacked while briefly left alone; she had never met A before. Police who received the report identified A after analyzing CCTV footage inside the sauna.

The investigation revealed that A had previously been convicted of forcibly molesting a child under 13 at a sauna. A is a registered sex offender and was found to have several other prior convictions for sex crimes.

Police initially sought an arrest warrant for A, but prosecutors declined to request one on the grounds that voluntary investigation is the default principle. However, after the suspect's DNA was detected on the victim's clothing, police applied for a warrant on that basis. Once the warrant was issued on Aug. 28, A was transferred to prosecutors in custody.