The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a Korean-American pediatric dentist in Atlanta for possession of child pornography.
The Atlanta field office of the FBI announced on January 8 that it executed a search warrant at the home of Paul Bogeun Kim, 30, on December 19 last year and found child pornography and arrested him on related charges. A federal court of North Georgia set Kim’s bail at $100,000 last week and put him on monitored home incarceration with no internet access or access to children.
The FBI’s Child Exploitation Operations Unit found Kim while investigating into online commercial sex ring targeting female minors, Fox 5 News reported on January 9, citing court documents.
The FBI was investigating a group that blackmailed to coerce teens into sexual acts and self-harm. The group sold images of the victims obtained through the social media platform Snapchat using Bitcoin.
Authorities tracked down the Coinbase account that purchased three child pornography with $249 worth of Bitcoin and found Kim’s home in Atlanta, the news outlet reported. The special agents of the FBI searched the home and found at least one child sexual exploitation video, which officials say Kim admitted to purchasing with cryptocurrency. During the investigation, Kim said he knew the victim to be 17 or 18 years old, but the victim turned out to be 15.
Kim worked as a dentist in Austell, Dunwoody, and Cumming, according to the FBI. The agency notified the licensing board of the allegations and is continuing the investigation of the individuals associated with Kim.
Anyone with information regarding the case can call the FBI at (800)225-5324 or report online at tips.fbi.gov.
BY JIAH YOON, HOONSIK WOO [yoon.jiah@koreadaily.com]
