Netizen video clip forces man to admit crime

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Netizen video clip forces man to admit crime

With a camera-imbedded cell phone in hand, even a layman can play the role of policeman in the Internet age.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said a 46-year-old man, who was caught on a cell phone camera as he groped the thigh of a 26-year-old woman in the subway, turned himself in to the police under the mounting pressure of netizens who spread the video yesterday.

According to police, the man is suspected of sexually molesting the woman who was sleeping next to him on the last train bound for Sindorim Station on line No. 2 on Tuesday.

The molester, only was identified by the surname Cho, was revealed to the public because a passenger sitting in front of him filmed the scene with a cell phone camera and uploaded it to the Web on Wednesday.

The 1-minute, 14-second video is titled “The last train bound for Sindorim on Nov. 30,” but only caught a short snippet of the 10-minute-long ordeal without knowing he was being filmed.

With the video all over the Internet, police launched an investigation to identify the man by analyzing CCTV video of 10 stations, from Sadang Station where Cho got off at, tracing back to Sincheon Station.

Pressured by the news that police embarked on an investigation, Cho called police at 9:55 p.m. on Wednesday, saying he was the man on the video.

Cho went to the police station yesterday and filled in a document admitting his crime around.

Cho has a wife and is the father of two sons, according to the police, who conducted the investigation.

Said Cho: “I am currently jobless since I left my investment company just two months ago. I spent 10 years [with the company].”

On the day of incident, he was on his way back home after drinking seven bottles of makgeolli and one bottle of hard liquor with acquaintances near Yeoksam Station.

Cho added: “I do not remember, but I probably made a mistake because I was drunk.”

Police also found the woman who was harassed, surnamed Jang, and she gave a statement.

Police are still investigating the case.


By Shim Sae-rom, Yoo Sun-young [enational@joongang.co.kr]
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