South Korean Citizen Goes to Jail for Metaverse Harassment

A district court in Uijeongbu, South Korea, has sentenced a 30-year-old man to four years in prison for sexually harassing teenagers in the metaverse.

A man in the period from December to March got acquainted with minors in the metaverse, pretending to be the same age, entered into their confidence, conducted obscene conversations and asked to send erotic photos via the messenger.

The district judge declared that the defendant had violated South Korea’s Child and Youth Sexual Protection Law:

“The crime is very serious, because the victims were children and adolescents who do not have a well-established idea of ​​\u200b\u200bsexuality. They were unable to protect themselves from perverse harassment and bring the perpetrator to justice. However, the defendant confessed to the crimes and the verdict was given in view of the fact that the photographs were not distributed or used to generate income.”

In addition to imprisonment, the man will have to undergo an 80-hour psychotherapy program for treatment of sexual violence. For seven years, he will not be able to work with children and adolescents, as well as in organizations that help the disabled.

In March, South Korea’s Constitutional Court dismissed a lawsuit challenging a law that bans gamers from buying and selling cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

In February, Russia’s Roskomnadzor said that the globalization of the metaverse would contribute to the illegal trade of cryptocurrencies, an increase in the number of crimes and “destabilization of the political situation.” In August, Bank of England analysts said that the development of the metaverse market is forcing global regulators to develop laws that prevent systemic risks for the financial system.