Man Poses as TV Producer to Sexually Assault Former Beauty Pageant Contestants

[ 7/28/2010 ]

Seoul’s Gangbuk Police Station said on the 28th that it had arrested A (34) on charges including forcible molestation. He allegedly posed as a television producer, promised women who had competed in beauty pageants that he could get them on TV, and sexually assaulted them. Police say that at around 11:30 p.m. on the 10th, A assaulted B (25) at a pub in Seoul’s Gangbuk District after claiming he could help her become a reporter. He is suspected of using the same approach to assault a total of ten women in their twenties between the 4th of last month and recently. Police found that all the women who reported assaults aspired to work in entertainment and had competed in beauty pageants. Some had already worked as reporters or appeared in television dramas. Investigators said A exploited their belief that making a good impression on a well-known producer could help them get cast. “A has a prior conviction for sexual assault committed while posing as a producer,” a police official said. “Even a woman who is suspicious at first may lower her guard when A invites another woman to join them, because she feels she needs to make a better impression.” Police believe there may be other victims and are continuing to investigate whether A committed further offenses.