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Stream viewers who donated money to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a minor referred to prosecutors

Published: 13 Jan. 2026, 17:11

An image of a statue of Justitia, the goddess of justice [KOREA JOONGANG DAILY]

Viewers who sent donations to internet streamers were referred to prosecutors in large numbers for allegedly helping facilitate the sexual exploitation of a minor.

Police at the Incheon West Police Precinct said Tuesday that they sent 161 people, including viewers booked without detention, to prosecutors on suspicion of aiding and abetting the production of child sexual exploitation material in violation of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth against Sex Offenses.

The viewers are accused of assisting the crime by sending donations to streamers — known as BJs (broadcast jockeys) in Korea — who produced content sexually exploiting an underage boy on an internet streaming platform on July 12, 2025.

Police said the donors sent money to the streamers’ bank accounts even though they knew that once contributions reached a certain amount, a roulette wheel listing sexual acts would spin and “penalties” would be carried out.

Investigators found the donors sent amounts ranging from as little as 1,000 won ($0.68) to as much as 3.2 million won. The streamers then repeatedly made inappropriate physical contact with the male minor, claiming it was part of carrying out the “penalties,” police said.

Under the Criminal Act, aiding and abetting refers to acts of support that enable, encourage or make it easier to commit a crime with knowledge of the offense or preparations for it. For the charge to hold, the assistance must be closely connected to the commission of the crime or be deemed to have increased the likelihood of the criminal outcome.

Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency [INCHEON METROPOLITAN POLICE AGENCY]

Police said they concluded that the donations, which were made while specific “penalties” were presented, led to the substantive outcome of sexual exploitation of a minor.

Police initially booked 280 donors on suspicion of aiding and abetting, but said they later excluded cases involving duplicate bank accounts and donors below the age of criminal responsibility, among others, after further investigation.

Of eight streamers accused of producing and broadcasting sexually exploitative content targeting the minor, one has been indicted, detained and is standing trial. The other seven were referred to prosecutors without detention.

“We investigated viewers who sent donations despite knowing the victim was a minor and referred them to prosecutors,” a police official said. “We will respond strictly to crimes targeting children and adolescents.”

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 HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]