38-year-old woman indicted for sexually harassing BoA with graffiti
BoA was the target of sexually explicit graffiti across Seoul, and a 38-year-old woman identified as Jo has been indicted for the acts.
The 7th Criminal Division of Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office filed non-custodial charges on the 20th against Jo for insult and property damage, media outlets reported on July 24th.
Prosecutors say Jo used a permanent marker to write sexually defamatory messages about BoA eight times on bus stop signboards and electronic displays in the Gangnam and Gangdong districts. They judged the incidents to have publicly insulted BoA and caused damage to public facilities.
Reports state Jo has a history of repeatedly defaming other celebrities through graffiti and has been fined several times for property damage.
Fans located and photographed the graffiti, then shared the information on online communities and reported it to the police, local governments, and BoA’s agency, SM Entertainment. Some fans visited the spots and removed the markings themselves.
Seoul Gangnam Police Station received a complaint from BoA’s side in June of last year, investigated the matter, and sent the case to prosecutors in July.
Prosecutors cited the graffiti’s placement in busy public areas with broad visibility, the repeated and malicious nature of the acts, and BoA’s side asking for strict punishment when deciding to indict Jo.
