Notorious child rapist given 3-month prison term for violating nighttime curfew

South Korea's most notorious child rapist, Cho Doo-soon, was put in prison again Monday after receiving a three-month term for wandering outside his home at night in violation of a 9 p.m. curfew imposed on him. Cho, who spent 12 years in prison for kidnapping and raping an 8-year-old girl in 2008, left prison in December 2020 and moved into a rented home in Ansan's Wa-dong district amid strong protests from the neighborhood residents. In December, Cho was indicted again for leaving his house at night in violation of the curfew that bans him from going out after 9 p.m. and wandering for some 40 minutes. On Wednesday, the Ansan Branch of the Suwon District Court said the curfew imposed on those wearing electronic tracking devices is aimed at protecting people from criminals and even a single violation should not be taken lightly. "The effects the defendant's crime had on regional policing and administration are large," it said. Cho was immediately imprisoned after the ruling. During a hearing last week, Cho claimed he had left the house after getting into a fight with his wife. He pleaded with the judge for leniency, saying he doesn't have the money to pay fines with his basic government subsidies. Source: Yonhap News Agency