Former NCT Member Taeil Faces First Trial for Sexual Assault Charges on May 12
According to Star News, the 26th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court has set May 12 as the date for the first hearing in the trial of former NCT member Taeil and two others, who were indicted for violating the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment of Sexual Crimes (aggravated quasi-rape).
Previously, the Women and Children’s Crime Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office indicted the three suspects without detention on February 28. Taeil was first reported to police on June 13, 2024, by an adult woman (referred to as “A”) and was booked under suspicion of sexually assaulting her.
Following the report, police launched an investigation and summoned Taeil for questioning on August 28, 2024. He was formally charged with aggravated quasi-rape, shocking the public. Although indicted without detention, no other celebrities besides Taeil were reportedly involved in the crime.
When it was revealed that the charge involved “aggravated quasi-rape,” speculation arose over whether a weapon had been involved. However, police clarified that this was not the case. This charge can apply if a weapon is used or if two or more individuals jointly commit sexual assault on a person incapable of resistance due to physical or mental incapacitation.
On June 2024, Banpo Police Station requested arrest warrants for all three suspects, but the court denied them, stating that the suspects had admitted to the crime and did not pose a flight risk.
As a result of the incident, Taeil was expelled from both NCT and his agency, SM Entertainment. On October 15, 2024, SM Entertainment officially announced, “We have terminated our exclusive contract with Taeil as of October 15. Taeil is currently under criminal investigation by the prosecution. This falls under the grounds for contract termination, and we concluded, through mutual agreement, that trust could no longer be maintained.”
Taeil debuted as a member of NCT in 2016 and was active in units NCT 127 and NCT U.
