Seoul, South Korea - A South Korean court has handed a six-year jail term to a religious cult leader for raping his female followers before spending several year[s] on the run in China.
Jeong Myeong-Seok - whose JMS sect stands for both Jesus Morning Star and the initials of his name - was convicted of raping or sexually assaulting three women between 2001 and 2006.
Jeong, now in his early 60s, fled South Korea in 1999, one day after rape allegations against him were broadcast on national television, and was charged with rape in his home country in 2001.
He was arrested in Hong Kong in 2003 for visa violations and later fled an extradition hearing. China extradited him to Seoul in February.
Former cult members, mostly young girls, have told police they were instructed to undress for health checks and to have sex with Jeong to remove their sins.
The girls said they were threatened with spiritual death if they spoke of what happened, according to previous media reports.
News reports have said Jeong, who founded the cult in the late 1980s, was still believed to have thousands of followers, including students, soldiers, teachers and children.