Famous South Korean Religious Sect Leader on Netflix Is Sent to 23 Years in Prison for Sexual Offenses
According to court authorities, Jeong Myeong-seok, the head of a South Korean religious cult whose sex offenses were the subject of a well-liked Netflix documentary, was sentenced to 23 years in jail on Friday.
According to The Korea Times, the Daejeon District Court in central South Korea sentenced Jeong to jail after finding him guilty of sexual assault against three of his female followers between 2018 and 2021.
The 78-year-old Jeong is the director of Jesus Morning Star, or JMS, the Christian Gospel Mission in South Korea. The well-liked television series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” which debuted earlier this year, included him.
According to local media, Jeong was also accused of making false statements by refuting the claims made by the two foreign victims. At the last court appearance, the prosecution asked for a thirty-year jail sentence for him.
In a statement released by the court, Jeong was found guilty of two crimes: “quasi-rape” and “quasi-imitative rape,” which refers to having sex with someone who is either asleep or incapable of resisting.
The specifics of Jeong’s found guilty sexual offenses were withheld by the court. Numerous supporters of Jeong gathered close to the court, waving signs that said “Jeong isn’t guilty” and shouting slogans.
According to allegations in the local media, Jeong identified as the Messiah or reborn Jesus Christ. However, Jeong and his defense attorney refuted that, as stated in the court filing. Following his release from jail earlier in 2018, Jeong committed the crimes after committing acts of sexual assault against other female followers during his ten-year sentence.
