Incumbent City Council Member Under Investigation for Alleged Child Sex Crimes After Luring Middle School Student

The police have launched a compulsory investigation into allegations of sex crimes involving a minor committed by an incumbent city council member.

Starting at 8:30 a.m. today, the Cheongju Cheongwon Police Station dispatched investigators to execute search and seizure warrants at the office, local constituency office, and residence of Council Member A of the Cheongju City Council, securing computers, digital storage devices, and other relevant materials.

Council Member A is accused of having sexual relations with a middle school student in vehicles and motels on two to three occasions between October 2024 and May 2025, and of producing sexually explicit material.

It is reported that Council Member A demanded sexual relations from the middle school student, whom they met through a mobile chat app, by offering money or promising to buy the student cigarettes.

The police, who began the investigation following a report from the victim's parents in March, reportedly confirmed circumstances suggesting that Council Member A had asked the middle school student to be in a relationship.

Under current law, sexual relations with a child or adolescent under the age of 16 are punishable regardless of the other party's consent or the presence of coercion.

The police plan to summon Council Member A for questioning once the analysis of the seized materials is complete.

Council Member A reportedly stated, "It has not even reached the stage of a verdict or trial, and I feel this is unfair," adding, "I will explain later."

Council Member A is a first-term council member who was elected as a People Power Party representative for the Cheongju City Council in the June 3 local elections.

Reported by Jung Da-eun | Video by Ryu Ji-soo | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.