One in six sex offenders is 50 or older

One in six sex offenders is aged 50 or above, data from the Ministry of Justice shows.

The number of sex offenders aged 50 and above marked 8,885 out of the total 51,876 convicted between 2010 and the first six months of this year, or 17.1 percent.

The number has seen a steady increase, from 3,460 in 2010 to 3,834 in 2011.

In the first half of this year, 1,591 seniors were charged for sexual crimes.

Sex offenders in their 60s recorded 5.1 percent (805) of the total in 2010, 5.4 percent (887) in 2011 and 5.2 percent (358) in the first six months of this year.

Those in their 70s made up 1.2 percent (246) in 2010 and 1.3 percent (290) in 2011 and 1.4 percent (134) in the first half of the year.

Those under 19 accounted for 17.7 percent during the past 3 years. The figure was 21.3 percent for those in their 20s, 22.2 percent in their 30s and 20.6 percent in their 40s.

“As the life span and the senior population increase, sexual assaults committed by seniors is surfacing as a social issue,” said Rep. Lee Choon-suak ofa the Democratic United Party.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)