Home > National > Social Affairs

Leader of Telegram-based ring gets life over sexual assault of minors

Published: 24 Nov. 2025, 16:29 Updated: 24 Nov. 2025, 19:23

A composite photo released by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on Feb. 8 shows mug shots of Kim Nok-wan, the leader of a Telegram sex crime ring. [YONHAP]

Kim Nok-wan, the man who ran one of the most extensive digital sex crime networks in Korea — with more victims than any previous case — was sentenced to life in prison Monday for leading a Telegram-based ring that sexually assaulted and exploited minors.

The Seoul Central District Court handed down the sentence in accordance with the prosecution’s recommendation, convicting Kim of multiple charges including producing and distributing child and teen sex abuse material and the rape of minors.

“The method of filming very young victims was extremely cruel, and the extent of suffering inflicted on them and their families is beyond estimation,” the court said in its ruling. “Even considering factors in his favor, the defendant must be permanently separated from society.”

The court also imposed a ban from working at institutions that work with children and adolescents for 10 years and an order to wear a location-tracking device for 30 years.

Kim was indicted and detained on Feb. 12 for leading a cyber sexual abuse ring called “Vigilante Corps” in Korean, using the alias “Pastor” between May 2020 and January 2025. He was accused of raping children and teenagers, producing and distributing sexually exploitative content and coercing some minors into sexual acts.

Prosecutors later uncovered 10 additional victims and confirmed that Kim was involved in cases previously ruled on, identifying 27 more victims. He was indicted again on April 23.

The total number of victims in the “Vigilante Corps” case stands at 234 — more than the combined total in the “Baksa Room” operated by Cho Ju-bin, which had 73 victims, and the “Seoul National University Nth Room,” with 48 victims. In Kim's ring, 159 of the victims were in their teens.

In February, the Seoul Metropolitan Police disclosed Kim’s name, age and photo in accordance with Article 4 of the Act on the Disclosure of Information of Specific Serious Crimes.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]