The number is 540,000. That is how many users signed up for AVMOV, an illegal website that distributed secretly filmed footage of family members and intimate partners. As the investigation into the site gains momentum, attention is turning to how harshly those users could be punished.
The Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency said Tuesday at a regular press briefing that it has identified eight operator-level suspects and booked them on charges of violating the Special Act on the Punishment of Sexual Violence Crimes.
Police executed search warrants last month at the residences of four of the suspects, seizing PCs and other evidence now under analysis. A compulsory investigation of a fifth suspect is expected to follow shortly. Police plan to summon all of them for detailed questioning once the analysis of seized materials is complete.
The remaining three suspects have been confirmed to be currently abroad. Police are pursuing diplomatic measures, including passport invalidation, to compel their return to South Korea.
The site, launched in August 2022, allowed users to share secretly filmed videos of acquaintances and partners or to download illegal footage using points purchased with real money. Membership reached approximately 540,000. The site is now blocked.
Will Simply Viewing the Content Lead to Punishment?
The Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency first detected the site during routine monitoring in December last year and launched a preliminary investigation. Since news of the probe became public, a flood of voluntary confessions has poured in from people who say they viewed videos on AVMOV.
Viewing illegally filmed material posted online can, by itself, constitute a criminal offense. The key criterion is intent. If a viewer watched the material while aware that it was illegal — whether secretly filmed footage of adults or child and adolescent sexual exploitation material — the viewer is subject to criminal prosecution.
Intent in this context encompasses both definite intent and dolus eventualis. Even without certainty that a video was illegal, a viewer who recognized the possibility and watched it anyway can face charges.
For child and adolescent sexual exploitation material, authorities assess intent based on video titles, thumbnails and the clothing of individuals depicted. For illegally filmed material involving adults, investigators examine the content and nature of the video to determine whether the viewer could have recognized it was produced or distributed without the subject's consent. Even if the person in the video consented to being filmed, the footage is still classified as illegal if that person did not consent to its publication and distribution.
The applicable laws and severity of punishment vary depending on the type of illegal content viewed. The Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse stipulates imprisonment of one year or longer — with no option for a fine — for anyone who intentionally possesses or views child and adolescent sexual exploitation material.
Viewing illegally filmed material involving adults carries a penalty of up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won ($22,000) under the Sexual Violence Punishment Act.
Viewing deepfake sexual exploitation material also carries up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won, under legislation amended in October 2024.