A public official who allegedly fabricated photos depicting himself and a female subordinate as a couple and posted them on his KakaoTalk profile has been indicted.
The Women and Children's Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office indicted a local government official in Seoul, identified only as A, without detention on charges of violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (editing and distributing false images) and defamation, according to prosecutors Tuesday.
A is accused of creating fake photos around November last year that made it appear he was in a romantic relationship with a female subordinate who worked in the same department, and posting the images on his KakaoTalk profile.
After reviewing the victim's statement and relevant legal principles, prosecutors concluded that everyone has the right not to be sexually objectified against their will. They also determined that the photos could provoke sexual desire or shame when considering the overall context, including the degree of the victim's physical exposure, the staged situations, and the victim's appearance in the fabricated images.
"We will do our best to maintain the prosecution going forward while taking every measure to protect victims of sex crimes, including deepfake victims," a prosecution official said.
