The leader of South Korea’s Jesus Morning Star religious sect, Jung Myung-seok, was sentenced to a further 33 years in prison on Monday after being found guilty of sexually assaulting and abusing female followers.
Jung, believed to be in his early 80s, is already serving a 17-year sentence for separate sexual assaults committed after his release from prison following a 2008 rape conviction.
In the latest case, he was accused of sexually assaulting and abusing 16 female followers over several years, with the alleged offences continuing through 2022.
A court official in Daejeon said Jung would begin serving the additional 33-year term after completing his existing sentence.
Jung was also featured in the Netflix documentary series In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal, which examined four South Korean religious leaders accused of various crimes.
An official at the sect’s mission office in South Chungcheong province did not immediately comment on whether Jung would appeal the latest ruling.
Another official from the religious group was sentenced to seven years in prison for helping Jung carry out his actions.
Ojo Triumph
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