A representative of a rental-car company was found guilty of extortion for leveraging dashcam footage of a female idol’s private moments with a male idol to pressure her for money. The Incheon District Court, Criminal Division 14, presided by Judge Gong Woo-jin, handed down an eight-month prison term, suspended for two years, along with 120 hours of community service.

According to the court, the defendant, A, rented a van to a female idol identified as B in February of last year. While reviewing the vehicle’s dashcam footage, A allegedly witnessed B engaging in intimate acts with a male idol identified as C in the back seat. A then contacted B, asking, “What did you do in the back seat?” or referencing C’s group, and pressured her by saying, “If you don’t admit it, there’s nothing we can do on our end,” demanding money.

Fearing exposure of her private life, B transferred a total of 9.793 million won to A’s account in three installments. The court noted that although the crime occurred during the probation period, A returned most of the extorted funds to the victim and showed remorse, which factored into the decision to grant a suspended sentence.