Jung Myung-seok, the leader of the South Korean religious sect Jesus Morning Star, was sentenced to an additional 33 years in prison on Tuesday after being found guilty of sexually assaulting and abusing female followers. Jung, believed to be in his early 80s, is already serving a 17-year sentence for earlier convictions related to sexual assaults.

The Daejeon District Court ruled that Jung had sexually abused 16 women between 2018 and 2022 at the sect’s training center in Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province, as well as other locations. Charges included quasi-rape, a legal term applied when victims are unable to resist, reflecting the court’s view that Jung exploited his absolute authority as the group’s leader. Members of the sect regarded him as the second coming of Christ.

Prosecutors argued that Jung manipulated his followers by convincing them he was the "Messiah," thereby rendering them unable to resist his advances. The court described the offenses as particularly egregious, emphasizing that Jung had abused a longstanding structure of religious control and influence to commit his crimes repeatedly.

According to a court official, Jung’s new 33-year sentence will be served consecutively with the 17-year term he is already serving at Daejeon Prison. His previous convictions include a Supreme Court ruling in January 2025 affirming his guilt for the rape of a Hong Kong follower and sexual molestation of an Australian follower, along with a Korean follower.

In addition to the criminal case, Jung faced a civil lawsuit earlier this month, in which a court ordered him to pay a combined 370 million won (approximately RM1.13 million) in damages to three of the victims.

Jung founded Jesus Morning Star in the 1980s, and the group has been widely labeled a cult, drawing longstanding criticism for its teachings and Jung’s domineering influence over members. His criminal history also includes a prior 10-year prison sentence for sexually assaulting or molesting four female followers at locations across several countries—including Malaysia, Hong Kong, and China—between 2001 and 2006.

An official from the sect’s mission office in South Chungcheong Province declined to comment immediately on whether Jung would appeal the latest ruling. Another sect official was sentenced to seven years in prison for aiding Jung’s offenses, according to the official.