Late Goo Hara's ex bf Choi Jong Bum sentenced to prison for sex tape blackmail

Late Goo Hara's ex boyfriend Choi Jong Bum has been sentenced to prison  for blackmailing the K-pop star over a sex video, allegedly playing a role on her apparent suicide.

According to Soompi, Choi Jong Bum was sentenced in his appeal trial and was placed under court custody.

In 2018 Soompi reported that Goo Hara and Choi Jong Bum were in a  physical altercation. The latter reported to the police that Goo Hara had assaulted him, with Goo Hara making a counterclaim, saying her boyfriend blackmailed her with a sex tape.

Both eventually forwarded the matter to the prosecution on separate charges, with Goo Hara receiving a suspension of indictment while Choi Jong Bum's case went to trial.

A year later, prosecutors charged Choi Jong Bum with violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (filming body parts without consent), assault causing bodily harm, intimidation (blackmail), coercion, and destruction and damage of property.

The Soompi reported Choi Jong Bum's sentence during August 2019's trial: a prison sentence for one year and six months, and a three-year suspension of probation, for which both he and the prosecution filed an appeal.

During his appeal trial on May 21, he pled guilty to all charges except the one on non-consensual filming.

Today, July 2, the courts laid down their verdict: Choi Jong Bum's first trial was revoked and he was sentenced to one year in prison and was placed under court custody since they believe he is a flight risk.

According to Soompi, the judge's verdict stated, “Sexual intercourse is one of the most intimate aspects of a person’s privacy, and to threaten to expose a video filming this can not only cause irreparable psychological damages to the victim, but it can also severely damage their honor.”

“Not only this, but the defendant made the threat to publicly expose the video abusing the fact that such a video would result in even more serious damages as the victim was a celebrity," it added.

But the court maintained their previous verdict of Choi Jong Bum not being guilty of filming the victim's body without consent.

In an interview with reporters, Goo Hara's brother — who was present at the court — said, "I see the fact that he was given a prison sentence with no suspension in the appeal as a small source of comfort for our family that will help alleviate our pain. However, we regret that he was not found guilty of filming without consent and that he was only sentenced to one year.”

“When my sister was alive, she saw him given a prison sentence with suspension, but I think she’d be content knowing he had that suspension revoked today," he added.

According to Soompi, Goo Hara's brother stated that he will be requesting prosecutors to pursue a final appeal to increase Choi Jong Bum's one year prison sentence.

The 28-year-old Goo Hara, who was a member of former girl group Kara, was found dead in her home last November 24, just six months after an alleged suicide attempt, according to reports. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News