Man convicted of raping girl, 10
NORRISTOWN » After a highly emotional trial at which a woman confronted the Cheltenham man who raped her more than a decade ago when she was a child, a jury delivered a guilty verdict.
In Joong Kim, 68, formerly of the 7800 block of New Second Street, was convicted in Montgomery County Court of multiple charges of rape and aggravated indecent assault in connection with three incidents that occurred when the girl was in his company between April 2001 and March 2002. Kim, who knew the victim’s family, was 58 years old at the time of the sexual assaults and the girl was 10.
“With that verdict the jury completely believed the victim,” county Assistant District Attorney James Price said after the verdict was announced. “This girl was so affected by what happened 15 years ago that even testifying today you could see the scars of trauma on her.
“When she took the stand she couldn’t even get herself to look toward the defense counsel table. She was so scared that when she walked in she tried to turn around. The trauma was written all over her face,” Price said.
The jury acquitted Kim of three other charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse.
During the four-day trial, the woman, who avoided eye contact with Kim, reacted emotionally when she viewed a photograph of Kim and positively identified him as the man who raped her when she was a child. The assaults took place at Kim’s home and at the victim’s Cheltenham home while she was in Kim’s company, according to court documents. Judge Garrett D. Page, who presided over the trial, deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigative report about Kim. Kim, who remains in the county jail without bail pending sentencing, faces a possible maximum sentence of 45 to 90 years in prison on the charges.
The trial had been delayed because Kim, who was represented by defense lawyer John W. Aitchison, left the U.S. during the investigation in 2002.
Fourteen years later, on July 28, 2016, Kim was detained by police at JFK Airport in New York on a warrant from Cheltenham police after attempting to enter the country from South Korea.
“He thought it was safe to come home. Customs checked his background and found the active warrant from 15 years ago and they arrested him,” Price explained.
“This is justice delayed. This should have happened 15 years ago. The family has had to live knowing this man was out there living in Korea living his life despite what he did,” said Price, vowing to seek a lengthy state prison term against Kim. “There’s no
“This is justice delayed. This should have happened 15 years ago. The family has had to live knowing this man was out there living in Korea living his life despite what he did. There’s no question that he deserves state time.” — County Assistant District Attorney James Price
question that he deserves state time.”
The defense strategy during the trial was that Kim was falsely accused and that someone else had committed the sexual assaults.
According to court documents and trial testimony, the girl was examined at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia after the allegations came to light in 2002 and she was diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease that resulted from the rape incidents.