Police-made fake adult video gets 26,000 downloads

/ Courtesy of police

By Jung Min-ho

Police uploaded a fake voyeuristic video on websites as part of an awareness campaign against sex crimes involving hidden cameras, only to find it was downloaded by 26,000 people in two weeks.

Police said Wednesday they uploaded the 75-second video titled “Fitting Room” on file-sharing websites between Oct. 17 and 31 as part of their project, “Stop Downloadkill.”

Police said it was “shock therapy” for people who habitually download such content.

In the beginning, it appears to be a typical voyeuristic video filmed by a hidden camera. From behind, the video shows a young woman changing clothes in a fitting room. But suddenly, it cuts to a close-up of her ghost-like face.

Then a message appears: you may be the one who is pushing her to suicide. It also says “police are monitoring this website.”

Police said the project has received positive feedback. They said they may do another campaign against crimes involving hidden cameras.

Creating or distributing hidden camera voyeuristic videos is a serious crime subject to up to a five-year prison term or a fine of up to 10 million won ($8,800). But the number of sex crimes involving hidden cameras increased to 7,730 in 2015 from just 517 in 2006.