Online sex crimes against women and minors have become a scourge since the advent of digital technology.
Of late, cybercrime has become more barbaric, making the latest docuseries by Netflix, Cyber Hell: Exposing An Internet Horror, a timely reminder of the need for the public to keep their guard up and not fall prey to lurking predators online.
Directed by Choi Jin-sung, the documentary delves into the dark world of the internet, exploring the terrifying chatroom case of the Nth Room, reportedly an online sexual abuse and blackmail group that coerced young women and girls into sharing sexually charged video content.
We are told that Moon Hyung-wook, who infamously called himself "godgod", is the diabolical mastermind behind the heinous case which inspired the true-crime documentary.
According to investigations in South Korea, Moon amassed a collection of these abusive and explicit films and photographs showing poses and suggestive acts from approximately 21 girls. He blackmailed at least three of the girls' parents with X-rated video content of their daughters.
Moon is also accused of uploading over 4,000 videos to Telegram from 2017 to 2019.
Watching the investigation unfold leaves viewers appalled at the sick mind of online predators that roam clandestinely among us today.
It took a pair of college students and two journalists to help expose this devastating modern-day digital crime.
In this documentary, we get the inside story of the investigation into not just perpetrators such as "godgod" but also "baksa" who is involved in these online sex crimes.
The modus-operandi they used was a common one, luring innocent young women with promises, one of which happened to be modelling contracts, a bait victims often fell for.
The film offers a summary of events that transpired in the case, which broke out in 2020. For the most part, it stays clear of graphic details of the crime and the public furore it attracted. There is also little mention of the victims' background and character.
What it does do is put forth one of the most worrying questions concerning peddling photos of minors online: who are the culprits viewing this explicit material?
One can only decipher that such dealings boil down to demand and supply; there can only be a call for purchasing lurid pictures of underage girls and young women if there is a market for it. Thus, both parties are to be blamed for the criminal act. The mastermind and the countless buyers that lurk behind their digital identity. The thought of this is beyond exasperating, to say the least, as these men are often your average Joe on the street. Law enforcement also finds itself in a bind because of the complexities of online crime.
In this film, we see that chatrooms have thousands of members. While some groups get material for free, others are required to pay an entry fee.
The members have their carnal desires fulfiled with adult content that is so graphic that it makes viewers squirm.
What makes it worse is the fact that paying even gets you access to the victim's private information.
The prey is tagged as the "slave" who has to conduct herself according to the perpetrator's instructions, an oversight by her leads to the disclosure of her name, location and other private details within the group.
The film captures the reality of how far sexual predators can mastermind bizarre and repulsive sexual acts that include minors, some even below the age of 10, with no fear of repercussions or a sense of right and wrong.
Docuseries such as Cyber Hell should be watched by everyone so people are not easily lured into becoming a statistic of such cyber-crimes that have become increasingly brazen as technology advances.
- Cyber Hell: Exposing An Internet Horror
- Starring Chang Eun-jo, Moon Hyung-wook, Cho Ju-bin
- Directed by Choi Jin-sung
- Now streaming on Netflix
