Deaf South Korean pastor in Malaysia charged with molesting young men
About 10 days ago, Reuters reported that a deaf South Korean pastor named Jee Jong Hoon (54) was charged in Malaysia with sexually assaulting two deaf men in their 20’s in two separate incidents in 2013 and 2017. Jee is accused of hugging, kissing and groping the men. His specific charge is “using criminal force to outrage the modesty of men.”
Reuters showed an image of Jee looking down in a court building with a mask on his face and his hands cuffed behind him. Jee’s attorney, Shanmugam Ganesan, told Reuters that he did not enter a plea because he couldn’t understand Malaysian sign language but said it is his intention to plead not guilty.
The charges against Jee will be re-read on January 18 with an international sign language interpreter. If Jee is convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison or a fine or with whipping or any two.
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Today, MalayMail reported that Jee is facing a third molesting charge and is accused of kissing, hugging, and touching the private parts of a man who was 20 years old in 2000. He has a court date on February 9 for this charge.
Jee posted bail of RM 10,000 (equivalent to about $2,500 USD) and is out of jail as his cases are pending. His passport has been surrendered to the court.
Reuters said that Malaysian police announced that a total of six reports were filed against Jee for allegedly molesting five deaf men aged between 27 and 40.
News reports explained that Jee is married with two children and came to Malaysia in 1998 to teach Bible classes and have since become a pastor at a church in the Malaysian state of Penang.
There is a website that features the church and the pastor. The website said the church broadcasts its sermons to a worldwide audience and has formed many branch churches.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-malaysia-southkorea-crime/deaf-south-korean-pastor-charged-in-malaysia-with-sexual-assault-idUSKBN28S132
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/12/29/deaf-mute-korean-pastor-faces-another-molest-charge/1935719
https://www.manmindeaf.org/sermon-1