Former Cheongju City Council member Choi Youngjung has had his detention extended by prosecutors following accusations of having sexual relations with a minor and producing sexually exploitative material.
On August 14, the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office extended Choi Youngjung's detention, moving his release deadline from August 15 to August 25. He is facing multiple charges, including statutory rape of a minor and Violations of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth Against Sexual Abuse.
Prosecutors reportedly requested the extension because they determined that they needed more time to look into possible additional offenses and further establish the existing charges.
Before officially charging him during this extended time, prosecutors plan to conduct a second forensic examination on the phone Choi Youngjung voluntarily submitted following the police search.
So far, police have identifired two victims, with no additional victims confirmed so far. Working separately from prosecutors, police are looking into other possible crimes. They plan to forward any case files to prosecutors if further victims or charges are found.
According to police, Choi Youngjung is accused of having sexual relations with a middle-school student on three occasion over one year, starting in October 2024, including in a vehicle and at a motel. He is also accused of asking the victim to take and send nude photographs.
Furthermore, Choi Youngjung also allegedly offered the victim extra money if she brought along a friend or older sister, showed her a video of himself having sexual relations with another woman, and had sexual conversations with her, including sending messages that appeared to suggest having sexual relations with a woman of another nationality together.
He is also accused of committing a sex crime against another minor around the same period.
The case grew after police found photographs of a woman in what appeared to be a school uniform on the phone that Choi Youngjung voluntarily turned in. Suspecting she might be another victim, police searched his council office, home, and other locations on July 15.
Choi Youngjung is also suspected of trying to destroy evidence, including replacing his phone while under investigation and deleted some data from the results of a private forensic examination of the phone he had voluntarily submitted after the search.
Meanwhile, Choi Youngjung has denied all accusations, saying, "I did have sexual relations with her, but I did not know she was a minor."
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