[Anchor]
Cho Joo-bin, accused of blackmailing dozens of victims, including minors, into performing violent sex acts and selling the content in mobile chat rooms, appeared in public Wednesday as he was being transferred to the prosecution for further investigation.
Julie Sohn has more details.
[Reporter]
Before being handed over to the prosecution this morning, the 24-year-old apologized to everyone who has suffered harm because of him.
He then expressed thanks for putting a brake on the life of a devil that could not be stopped.
He appeared in front of the public after the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency made the rare decision to disclose his identity.
Cho Joo-bin is the main suspect of a pornography ring that enslaved dozens of women, including children.
He was arrested last week after a seven-month investigation into a series of chatrooms operated on the Telegram instant messaging app that offered illegal pornographic materials.
Cho also mentioned the names of JTBC President Sohn Suk-hee, former Gwangju Mayor Yoon Jang-hyeon and journalist Kim Woong.
According to statement released by the local cable broadcaster, Sohn was approached by Cho who threatened him to harm his family members, claiming that he received such a request from Kim who has been undergoing a trial for allegedly threatening Sohn.
Investigative authorities have declared an all-out fight into the allegations that have triggered intense public uproar.
Cho reportedly reaped hundreds of millions of won in cryptocurrencies by charging as much as 1.5 million won for some of the exploitative content.
Julie Sohn, eFM News.■
<Photo: Yonhap News>
