DAEJEON, Prosecutors said Friday they are considering bringing additional sexual assault charges against Jeong Myeong-seok, the leader of a controversial religious group, as his detention period is set to expire soon.
Jeong — the founder of Jesus Morning Star, better known as JMS — is currently standing trial, while being physically detained, on charges of sexually assaulting two female followers with foreign nationality.
His detention period is set to expire on April 27.
The Daejeon District Prosecutors Office probing the case said it is reviewing additionally indicting Jeong on charges of either raping or sexually assaulting three other female followers.
Jeong, who refers to himself as the Messiah or the second coming of Jesus, was released in 2018 after serving 10 years in prison for raping a number of female followers and embezzling funds from JMS.
Multiple sexual abuse allegations were further raised after Jeong’s release.
A recent Netflix documentary series painted a picture of crimes by four religious figures, including Jeong. Two foreign victims assaulted by Jeong shared their experience through the series.
Earlier, a Seoul court rejected JMS’ request for an injunction to stop the release of the series.
Source: Yonhap News Agency