A former idol group member, who was sentenced to prison for secretly filming his girlfriend during sex, has appealed the court's decision.

According to legal sources, on September 7, a former idol identified as Choi (28) submitted an appeal on September 4 to the Seoul Western District Court after being convicted of violating the Sexual Violence Punishment Act (illegal filming and distribution). He was sentenced to prison in the first trial.

Choi was charged with secretly filming his girlfriend, victim 'A,' during sex and taking photos and videos of her body without consent 18 times between July 2022 and May 2023. Investigations revealed there were three victims in total, including 'A.'

On August 30, Judge Hong Da-seon of the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Choi to 1 year and 6 months in prison, citing concerns that he is a flight risk. He was also ordered to undergo a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program and was banned from working in institutions relating to children or the disabled for three years.

Choi's appeal comes after the initial verdict, where the sentence of 1 year and 6 months was less than the 3 years of imprisonment the prosecution had requested.

Although Choi attempted to settle with two of the victims, they refused and requested a harsher punishment. The court took into account that there was no evidence the videos were distributed and that Choi had no prior convictions when deciding the sentence.

Choi debuted in 2017 as part of a five-member idol group but stopped activities in 2019 due to health issues. The group has since disbanded due to member departures.

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