33-year-old Kim Nok-wan headed the so-called Vigilantes, a huge criminal group in the form of a pyramid, which blackmailed its victims, forcing them to create pornographic content and share it in online chat rooms.
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Kim Nok-wan was sentenced to what crime?
What actions did Kim Nok-wan perform against the victims?
How many people were sexually abused by the Vigilantes group?
What titles were given to victims in the Vigilantes organization?
Kim Nok-wan sentenced to life imprisonment
The BBC reports that on Monday, Kim Nok-wan was sentenced for organizing and running a criminal organization, producing and distributing illegally recorded sexual material and sexual assault.
“Kim Nok-wan told the court that he feels remorse, but has committed countless crimes over the past four or five years. Given the brutality of the crimes and the lack of compensation for the victims, it is necessary to permanently isolate him from society,” the BBC quoted the court as saying.
Kim Nok-wan acted online as a “pastor” and allegedly sexually harassed minors on a regular basis, as well as disseminating photos showing child sexual abuse. He raped ten underage women, forced them to have sex with other men, and filmed himself committing brutal acts that left the women injured.
According to police, Kim's victims include both women and men. The 33-year-old searched for them on social media. He then lured them to the Telegram messenger and blackmailed them. The Washington Post reports that the 33-year-old told the victims that if they did not follow his orders, he would pass on sexual content to the victims' families and their associates. He also threatened to reveal their personal data or report them to the authorities.
Moreover, some of these victims were allegedly recruited into the financial pyramid of the Vigilantes organization, in which they were given titles such as “evangelist” and “deacon”. Their goal was to obtain more victims. The 33-year-old ordered both adults and children to submit reports and write letters of remorse. Those who did not obey this order were punished by him. Kim Nok-wa forced them to take naked photos of themselves and even harm themselves.
In October 2024, the Korean National Police Agency established a formal investigative cooperation system with Telegram, thanks to which the platform provided the authorities with all information that ultimately led to the arrest of the 33-year-old. It was found that he participated in at least 453 Telegram channels and chats to commit crimes, of which he operated 60 personally.
According to the BBC, between 2020 and 2025, members of this group sexually abused over 260 people, which is believed to be the largest number of victims of sexual cyberviolence in the history of South Korea.
