{
  "id": 6529982,
  "title": "Supreme Court confirms life sentence for leader of Telegram sex crime ring",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/supreme-court-confirms-life-sentence-for-leader-of-telegram-sex-crime-6529982",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-10T03:22:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/law-crime/20260910/supreme-court-confirms-life-sentence-for-leader-of-telegram-sex-crime-ring"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Supreme Court has affirmed a life sentence handed to the leader of a Telegram-based sex crime ring, Kim Nok-wan, 34. The court confirmed the lower court's decision to sentence Kim for his role in sexually exploiting 261 individuals, the highest number of victims recorded in a domestic sex crime case in the country.\n\nKim's sentence also includes the requirement to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years, a ban on working at institutions serving children and adolescents, and the publication of his personal information for 10 years. The court's ruling stems from Kim's conviction for leading The Vigilantes, a criminal organization active from August 2020 to January 2025.\n\nDuring this period, The Vigilantes produced and distributed sexual exploitative videos, coerced victims into appearing in these illicit recordings, and sexually assaulted children and teenagers. The group's modus operandi involved blackmailing men and women into submitting nude photographs, which were then used to create and disseminate sexual exploitation videos.\n\nThis case is particularly significant as it surpasses the scale of the notorious Baksabang case from 2019-2020, where Cho Joo-bin was responsible for blackmailing 73 individuals into making child and adolescent pornography.",
  "summary": "The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a lower court's life sentence for the leader of a Telegram-based sex crime ring accused of sexually exploiting 261 people, the largest number of victims recorded in a domestic sex crime case. The top court also approved the lower court's orders for Kim Nok-wan, 34, to wear an electronic monitoring device for 30 years, be barred from working at institutions…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Indian Express",
        "title": "Marital rape: Supreme Court to begin final hearing after three weeks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/marital-rape-supreme-court-to-begin-final-hearing-after-three-weeks",
        "published": "2026-09-09T18:18:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Mexico News Daily",
        "title": "A year in, Mexico’s newly constituted Supreme Court stresses autonomy, austerity and proximity to the people",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/a-year-in-mexicos-newly-constituted-supreme-court-stresses-autonomy",
        "published": "2026-09-09T23:13:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "France 24",
        "title": "Brazil Supreme Court chief suspends rival rulings amid election row",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/brazil-supreme-court-chief-suspends-rival-rulings-amid-election-row",
        "published": "2026-09-09T23:44:51.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Yonhap News",
        "title": "Supreme Court confirms life sentence for leader of Telegram sex crime ring",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/supreme-court-confirms-life-sentence-for-leader-of-telegram-sex-crime-6525190",
        "published": "2026-09-10T02:27:23.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Supreme Court confirms life sentence for leader of Telegram sex crime ring",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/supreme-court-confirms-life-sentence-for-leader-of-telegram-sex-crime",
        "published": "2026-09-10T02:42:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "Supreme Court upholds decision to cancel ‘run it straight’-style event",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/supreme-court-upholds-decision-to-cancel-run-it-straight-style-event",
        "published": "2026-09-10T05:16:49.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "Supreme Court upholds decision to cancel ‘run it straight’-style event",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/supreme-court-upholds-decision-to-cancel-run-it-straight-style-event-6546648",
        "published": "2026-09-10T05:16:49.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}