Controversial cult leader’s sentence reduced to 17 years

Jeong Myeong-suk, the cult leader who gained global notoriety for sexual offenses documented in the Netflix series “In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal,” had his prison sentence reduced to 17 years by an appellate court on Wednesday.

Known to his followers as the "Jesus Morning Star," Jeong is the leader of the Christian Gospel Mission. He was initially sentenced last December to 23 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of three female believers.

Upholding Jeong's conviction, the Daejeon High Court acknowledged that the victims were psychologically unable to resist Jeong due to their belief in his claims of being the messiah and “the returned Jesus Christ.” However, the court partially accepted Jeong’s argument that the initial punishment was excessive.

The crimes, as depicted in the Netflix series, were committed against Hong Kong national Maple (29), Australian national Amy (30) and a Korean woman. There were 23 such offenses committed between February 2018 and September 2021.

As part of his original sentence that was upheld, Jeong was also ordered to wear an electronic ankle monitor for 15 years and was banned from working in facilities for children, youths and disabled people for 10 years.

The appellate court concluded that the victims were mentally bound to Jeong due to their desire for religious redemption and the belief they would be condemned to hell if they did not follow him. This conclusion was based on the victims' letters and diaries.

For this reason, the court dismissed Jeong’s claims that the victims were of sound mind and that they consented to sexual activities.

However, the court did not accept evidence in the form of a voice recording from the crime scene that played a significant role in securing Jeong’s initial conviction.

While it did not find that the recording was manipulated or edited, the court ruled that the original files, not copies, should have been submitted. The original files reportedly could not be obtained as the victims had discarded the mobile phones they used to make the recording.

Regarding the reduction of Jeong’s sentence, the court stated that it did not find sufficient grounds to impose a sentence harsher than the standard for his crimes, which ranges from four to 19 1/4 years of imprisonment. Furthermore, it said, the lower court should have considered the fact that Jeong will likely face additional indictments related to the many other victims who have recently come forward.

Jeong’s lawyer, who had sought an acquittal, immediately appealed the latest ruling and requested that the case be referred to the Supreme Court.

In a separate case, prosecutors indicted Jeong in May on charges of 19 instances of sexual assault against two female followers, allegedly committed with the assistance of his aides.

Jeong completed a 10-year prison term in 2018 for sexually assaulting four female believers in their 20s between August 2001 and April 2006 in Malaysia, Hong Kong and China.