May 1, 2020 · 159 teenage victims sexually exploited via encrypted Telegram chatrooms operated by 33-year-old ringleader in Seoul A Telegram crime ring that sexually exploited over 234 individuals, including 159 minors, since 2020 has been busted by police in Seoul. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Cybercrime Investigation Unit arrested 14 members of the ring, including the 33-year-old ringleader who allegedly formed the group in May 2020. The group operated in hundreds of encrypted chatrooms on Telegram, using threats and gaslighting to exploit victims. Of the 234 victims, 159 were identified as teenagers, with ten of them raped and filmed. The case is similar to the “Nth room” case, in which 73 women were lured via Telegram and subjected to sexual abuse between May 2019 and February 2020. An additional 73 people have been identified as accessories to the crimes, with 40 under criminal investigation.
Child Safety CSAM Minor