Man in his 60s who groped 3 students at elementary school festival gets 3 years on appeal

A man in his 60s who entered classrooms during an elementary school festival and groped three students has had his three-year prison sentence upheld on appeal.

The First Criminal Division of the Daejeon High Court's Cheongju bench, presided over by Chief Judge Kim Jin-seok, dismissed the defendant's appeal and upheld the original three-year sentence. The man, identified only as A, was convicted under the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes for forcible indecent acts against minors under 13, and for violations of the Act on the Protection of Children and Youth from Sexual Abuse.

A attended a community council festival at an elementary school in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province, on June 22 last year, then entered classrooms and touched three students, including a girl identified as B.

The offenses took place in two classrooms in front of other students, according to the investigation.

A denied the charges during trial, claiming he had not visited the elementary school on the date in question. The court rejected his denial, citing police who responded to a report from the victims' parents and apprehended him at the scene.

"The defendant committed indecent acts against young students inside an elementary school, where children should be most safely protected, and no recovery has been made for the victims," Chief Judge Kim said.

He added that the court considered A's brain lesion condition, noting that the resulting cognitive impairment appeared to have influenced some of the offenses.