'Telegram Nth Room' criminal Jo Joo Bin appeals for lighter sentence

'Telegram Nth Room' criminal Jo Joo Bin has appealed for a lighter sentence.

Known as one of the main operators of the 'Nth Room' on chat application Telegram, Jo Joo Bin was previously sentenced to 40 years in prison for his crimes. On January 26, his lawyer appealed on his behalf, stating 40 years was too heavy of a sentence in comparison to other crimes.

The maximum sentence possible for Jo Joo Bin is 45 years in prison, and prosecutors previously requested life imprisonment during his first trial. His lawyer argued other factors should be considered in his sentencing and further pleaded not guilty on the charges of criminal organization. 

As previously reported, 25-year-old Jo Joo Bin, otherwise known as 'Baksa,' is the main operator involved in the frightening sex crime controversy known as the 'Nth Room.' Through the 'Telegram Nth Room', perpetrators opened chat rooms through the service Telegram to share sexually explicit photos and videos of female victims, including minors, to some 260,000 users. It's reported blackmail was used to coerce victims into violent acts, including sexual assault, and videos of the acts were sold to users. Jo Joo Bin is also said to have sent reporters threatening messages and plotted to kill a child.

Jo Joo Bin's next hearing is set for March 9 KST.