American instructor found innocent on sexual assault charge

An instructor with U.S. citizenship was acquitted on the charge of secretly taking photos of a woman on public transportation, the Seoul Central District Court said Monday.

According to the court, the 42-year-old man identified by his surname Kim was charged without detention for alleged sexual violence in October 2012.

He was caught after taking a picture of a 20-year-old passenger sitting on the subway train at Gasan Digital Complex Station.

The woman was wearing a short-sleeve dress with her legs crossed when he took two pictures without permission.

Kim claimed he took the pictures because he had a crush on her, while the prosecution claimed the photos were focused on the victim’s legs.

But the court said in its ruling that Kim’s photos did not imply sexual desire or the intention of causing humiliation.

At the trial, five jury members accepted Kim’s plea for innocence, while the remaining two said he was guilty.

By Im Woo-jung, Intern reporter
(iwj@heraldcorp.com)