‘Molar daddy’ set for trial on murder, rape

The prosecution on Wednesday indicted Lee Young-hak, nicknamed “Molar Daddy,” for the suspected rape and murder of his daughter’s 14-year-old friend.

The Seoul Northern District Prosecutors’ Office concluded that Lee, 35, has a sexual perversion disorder and committed the crimes on the teen girl to satisfy his sexual desires. He faces charges of rape, homicide of a minor, an indecent act by force, drug use and abandonment of a body.
 

“We will seek heavy punishment corresponding to the cruel crime once the investigation is wrapped up,” a spokesperson for the office said in a press briefing, announcing the final result of the investigation. “Under the law, it is possible to seek the death penalty and a life sentence in prison for him.”

Lee, arrested as a murder suspect last month, is accused of having his daughter lure her friend to their house in eastern Seoul, giving her drinks containing sleeping pills and sexually assaulting the teenage girl with adult toys while she was asleep on Sept. 30.

Lee allegedly strangled her to death with a tie and wet towel the next day as the girl woke up and strongly resisted. Lee and his daughter then transported the body in a suitcase by a car to Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, and abandoned the body on a mountain there.

His daughter, 14, was arrested Tuesday and is being investigated as an accomplice by police. She admitted to assisting her father in disposing of the body.
 

After running several tests on Lee’s psychological state, the prosecution found he had a lower-than-average level of intelligence and lacked self-control, but had no problem in leading an everyday life. The prosecution also said he had scored highly on a paraphilia test, meaning he had distorted sexual obsessions. He was obsessed with showing off his masculinity out of a victim mentality stemming from his physical disability, it said.

The prosecution believes that Lee chose the 14-year-old victim to replace his deceased wife to satisfy his sexual desires. His 32-year-old wife, surnamed Choi, took her own life in early September at their residence.

Lee’s acquaintance, surnamed Park, was also indicted for allegedly assisting Lee and his daughter in fleeing. The prosecution suspects he helped them get a place to stay in northern Seoul after they committed the murder.

Police will continue to investigate other suspicions surrounding Lee and his family, the prosecution said. 

Police are looking into the death of Lee’s wife amid allegations she had been sexually abused by Lee and Lee’s stepfather for years. Lee’s stepfather was found dead in an apparent suicide last month amid an ongoing probe.

Police also suspect that Lee pimped his wife out for his prostitution business and misappropriated donations, which he received from the public to treat his daughter, for his personal use.

Over years, Lee had raised donations worth 1.3 billion won ($1.17 million) between 2005 and 2017 for his daughter suffering from a rare, autosomal dental tumor. He had the same condition and lost all but one tooth while treating the disease, earning the nickname “Molar Daddy.”

But he allegedly spent only 160 million won for his daughter’s medical treatment.

The case has shocked the public, especially since Lee had been depicted as a loving and caring father by media since 2006. Numerous media reports have since reported on potential evidence and testimonies that hint at his alleged luxurious lifestyle, obsession with teenagers and distorted sexual desires.

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)