Ah-reum (real name Lee Ah-reum), a former member of T-ara, has been sentenced to 2 years of probation for child abuse and defamation.
According to the legal community on the 17th, the Ansan District Court's Criminal Division 9 (Chief Judge Yoon Sang-do) held a sentencing hearing for Lee and sentenced her to 8 months in prison, suspended for 2 years. She was also ordered to attend 40 hours of child abuse prevention lectures.
Lee was prosecuted for emotional abuse by cursing at her ex-husband in front of her children and for defaming A, who disclosed a court ruling regarding her boyfriend, during an internet broadcast.
The court stated regarding the child abuse charges, “She admits to all the charges,” and added, “Causing significant mental harm to the lawful guardian of the victim child should be severely condemned.”
Regarding the defamation charges, the court explained, “Although she claims there was no intent to defame the victim A, there was no effort to verify the facts regarding the unreasonable content, and at least there was ‘negligent intent.’ Especially considering that the statements were made during a broadcast and the relationship with the victim, it is recognized that there was an intent to defame.”
The court also sentenced Lee's mother, who was indicted for child abuse alongside Lee, to 4 months in prison, suspended for 1 year.
Lee's mother was prosecuted for neglecting her grandchildren by allowing them to continue living in an environment where her daughter was cursing at her ex-son-in-law from 2021 to 2022.
Lee joined T-ara as a member in July 2012 but left the group in July 2013 after just one year of activity. She married an older businessman in 2019 and had two sons, but announced her divorce in December 2023 along with news of her remarriage to her current boyfriend. She has since given birth to a daughter with her husband and is currently pregnant with her fourth child.
