Celebrity

Rapper Bassagong Appeals One-Year Prison Sentence for Illegal Filming and Distribution

Apr 13, 2023 | by Samriddhi Dastidar

South Korean Rapper Bassagong, whose real name is Kim Jin-woo, has filed an appeal against his one-year prison sentence for illegally filming and distributing explicit content. Bassagong, 36, submitted the appeal on April 13th through law firm Jihyuk, just one day after receiving the initial verdict.

The Seoul Western District Court found Bassagong guilty of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes (use of camera for filming and distribution). In addition to his one-year prison sentence, he was ordered to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and face a three-year employment ban at child and adolescent organizations and disabled welfare facilities.

The court stated, "The defendant's crime is severe, and the victim has not recovered from the damage. It is difficult for the defendant to avoid imprisonment as there is a risk of flight." Bassagong was taken into custody during the trial.

Regarding the case, the court explained, "The defendant admitted to all the charges and is found guilty. He filmed the victim undressing while she was asleep and posted the footage in a group chat with ten male participants. The crime's method, process, and nature are all bad." The court emphasized that illegal filming and distribution cause irreparable harm to the victims and inflict immense psychological pain.

The judge added that "the victim has never received a proper apology and has repeatedly petitioned for severe punishment for the defendant." Bassagong deposited KRW 20 million during the trial, but the court deemed it insufficient to help the victim recover from the damage.

Bassagong was indicted for violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes after the wife of rapper Don Mills accused him of illegally filming and distributing explicit photos of her in 2018 without her consent. The prosecution had initially demanded a one-year and six-month prison sentence, a three-year employment ban at child and adolescent organizations, and a two-year order for disclosing and notifying personal information.