Anonymous Crypto Payments Cause Problems for South Korean Child Porn Case

South Korean IT experts claim that investigators in the Telegram Nth room case could have trouble identifying users who used crypto payments to access illicit videos via the chat platform. 

Overseas exchanges’ transactions could be an issue

According to local media, Maeil Kyungjae, it is more difficult to trace payments made via international crypto exchanges versus local exchanges. A police officer involved in the investigation told Maeil Kyungjae:

"It is complicated to realistically track the money that criminals have exchanged in foreign exchanges into Korean Won through illegal exchange offices."

South Korean law enforcement members also warned that when illegal money is stored in overseas exchanges, information about the funds must go through international judicial assistance.

Allegedly the group’s mastermind, Cho Joo-bin, used a Finnish Bitcoin (BTC) OTC exchange when sending transactions.

Authorities identify suspects who they believe made crypto payments

Cointelegraph reported on April 27 that South Korean authorities identified the digital fingerprints of at least 40 people suspected of having paid crypto to access the illicit videos.

Authorities identified these users by tracking 20 of the biggest crypto exchanges in South Korea.

Additionally, on March 25, local media unveiled that Upbit, Bithumb, Coinone, and Korbit were reportedly working with the police to identify the users behind the payments.