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A YouTuber who was previously associated with the Christian Gospel Mission (known as JMS) and spread false information about victims of sexual assault by JMS leader Jeong Myeong-seok, received a sentence of one year and six months in prison, which is suspended for three years.

Presiding Judge Jang Jin-young from the Criminal Division 10 of the Daejeon District Court issued the verdict on the 12th against defendant A, who faced charges under the Information and Communications Network Act (defamation). In addition to the sentence, the court mandated three years of probation, 200 hours of community service, and three years of protective supervision.

The individual known as Defendant A was sent to trial for producing and sharing 48 videos between April and June 2023 on their YouTube channel, asserting that the victims’ accounts of being sexually assaulted by Jeong were untrue and that the evidence they provided had been made up or altered.

A also stated, “MBC and Netflix, who created and broadcast the documentary *‘I Am God’* by using false evidence, orchestrated a deception aimed at audiences globally.” At that time, the YouTube channel had around 200,000 subscribers.

Presiding Judge Kim said, “The defendant’s guilt is serious because they created YouTube videos that led to additional harm for the victims without adequate verification, and they also referred to people who helped the victims in good faith as disgraceful.” The judge further mentioned, “The defendant’s acknowledgment of their mistakes and removal of the YouTube videos connected to this case were viewed as positive factors.”

Highlighting the court’s ruling, the judge stated, “Obligations were placed to stop the uploading of videos that might lead to additional harm for victims on social networking services (SNS) widely used. Not following these rules could lead to the cancellation of the suspended sentence.”