One of the main operators of the 'Nth Telegram Chatrooms' has been revealed to be a 16-year-old boy.
On March 26th, reports from the Seoul Metropolitan Police state that there was a 16-year-old boy under the nickname 'Pacific Ocean' responsible for operating a chatroom titled 'Pacific Ocean Expedition' that was distributing illegal and explicit underage material. The operator has since been arrested on March 20th. Representatives from the Seoul Police Station have stated that "after forwarding charges, there is still a chance that there will be chat messages that reveal sexual crimes involving perpetrators, which we will further investigate."
The 16-year-old boy is said to have been an operator since October of 2019 and ran a room holding 8,000 to 10,000 registered members that distributed underage and illegal explicit material. After Jo Joo Bin's crimes were revealed to the public, the underage operator apparently sought out the police himself and entered investigations since January. He simultaneously started telling clients to use the app 'Wire' instead of 'Telegram' to receive illegal materials, with invite-only chat rooms. The underage operator was also responsible for the distribution of illegal material in the rooms on the 'Wire' app as well.
One of the main operators of the Nth Telegram Rooms, Jo Joo Bin, is now in custody after his identity was revealed to the public. He stated in a press conference yesterday in which he said, "Thank you for ending the life of a demon I couldn't stop."
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I am disgusted. This is why I am always trying to tell other adults that you can't assume kids / teens are innocent just based on age. If you have spent any time around kids you know that they are typically much more sophisticated than many adults give them credit for. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on their upbringing and personal values. The problem is when determining culpability it's important to remember that their brains are not yet fully formed and their ability to control impulses / make rational and moral decisions is not yet matured. This isn't to say that they should be held to a lighter standard but that if rehabilitation is possible it should be looked at as an option when determining punishment. Most young people are still in the "can I get away with it" phase rather than the more adult "is this behavior moral" mindset. I really don't know what would be the most correct course of action with a 16 year old perpetrator and I am very glad I am not the one who would have to decide his fate. I am flipping between juvie with intensive therapy and possibly medication for any underlying mental conditions (because I can't imagine a mentally healthy person doing this) and life in prison with no second chances. Like I said I feel sort for the investigators, prosecutors and judges who are going to have to deal with this disgusting case.
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