”Missionary dream” - Pastor attempts sexual assault on young parishioner in South Korea

A church pastor who attempted to sexually assault a young female parishioner who dreamed of becoming a missionary in South Korea received a reduced sentence on appeal.
On the 19th, Chief Judge Suh overturned the original three-year prison sentence given to Pastor A, who was indicted on charges of attempted rape, and sentenced him to three years in prison with four years of probation.
The court also ordered A to complete a 40-hour sexual violence treatment program, perform 240 hours of community service, and be restricted from working for a child, youth, or disability agency for five years.
In 2013, Mr. A was indicted on charges of attempting to sexually assault Mr. B, who had graduated from a theological university and was working as a missionary at a church.
Because of this crime, Mr. B had to give up his dream of becoming an overseas missionary and a clergyman.
After the crime was reported in the media, the church alliance expelled Mr. A. The first-instance court sentenced him to three years in prison, but Mr. A appealed the sentence.
The appeals court said, "The defendant, in his capacity as the head pastor, attempted to sexually assault a female congregant who was also a missionary, but his crime was serious because he only attempted it," but added, "The defendant assaulted the victim at the time.
"It is believed that the defendant did not use physical force, such as threats or physical force," he continued. "The defendant received a total of 80 million won in settlement money, including 20 million won in the first trial and 60 million won in the appeal trial.
The court ruled that "the victim did not want punishment and the defendant was a first-time offender, and the sentence was set taking into consideration these factors."