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By Dong Sun-hwa
Prosecutors requested three years in prison for a former K-pop boy group member over allegations that he sexually molested and "quasi-raped" his bandmate, according to media reports, Monday. "Quasi-rape" refers to the act of sexual assault against a person in an unconscious state or unable to resist.
The prosecution also ordered the identity disclosure of the K-pop singer, demanding he receive five years of employment restrictions and undergo a sexual violence treatment program.
The K-pop singer ― a former member of a six-piece group ― allegedly touched the victim's body at least three times in different places between 2017 and 2021. The victim reported him to Gangnam Police Station in 2021, and the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted him in January.
The defendant admitted to most of the accusations and expressed regret, but claimed he could not remember some of them as he was "very drunk." He reportedly left the group following the complaint.
After the news made headlines, some online users insisted that he was part of OnlyOneOf, a six-member boy group that debuted in 2019 with the album "Dot Point Jump." It initially consisted of seven members, but one of them quit the act in 2021.
8D Entertainment, the record label that represents OnlyOneOf, flatly denied any connection to the case.
"OnlyOneOf is totally irrelevant to the latest incident," the company said in a statement, Monday. "We will take strong legal action if we continue to see false information spread about the group. We will do our best to protect our artists' rights and interests."
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