Sex Offender Working in Daejeon?

This is a hot one bound to make life a lot more interesting for a while:

CBS is reporting that a foreigner who had his teaching credentials stripped in the United States for child molestation has been working openly as a professor in Korea for the last decade.

Naturally, this is leading some to question Immigration’92s handling of foreigners and the hiring process of foreign professors.

Prof. A, who is teaching at a university in Daejeon, was convicted in 1996 of molesting girls under the age of 14 while employed as a middle school teacher in California. In 1997, he was imprisoned for six weeks on charges of paying female students so that he could feel their legs and hands while in his office.

CBS quotes Prof. A as claiming that while he was indeed convicted of child molestation, this record was erased in 2002 after a court judged the crime to be minor.

Prof. A said, however, that it was true the crime remains on his FBI record.

[Source: The Marmot's Hole]

Just a few minutes ago I was contacted by a friend with media ties as the reporter was trying to confirm information about the accused, who just happens to be a former co-worker of mine. Although we had indeed worked together, I didn’t know this individual well and so declined to comment on anything other than I am familiar with who that particular individual is (and no, I’m not naming names- I’m not interested in a slander suit, thanks).

Now, I’m all for people needing to get criminal background checks and whatnot for working in places in Korea where such thing would be commonplace at home, but I really think it should be tied to the job and not to the visa. And I’m in favour of keeping people away from children when they have a history of not behaving appropriately around them. Interestingly enough, however, not much seems to have happened, yet:

Now this you’92ll love ’97 despite the Daejeon Immigration Office belatedly discovering that Prof. A was charged with child molestation, it’92s not taking any measures against him.

While Prof. A is saying he’92s caused no trouble in the decade he’92s been here and vowing to put up a legal struggle if Immigration tries to deport him, Immigration simply said it has nothing to say at the moment.

[Again, from The Marmot's Hole]

What I want to know is how this information surfaced. It seems a little bit odd to me.

I hope my background check makes it here before my visa runs out; I have a feeling Daejeon Immigration isn’t going to be too patient next time I make a visit.

Tagged as: criminal, ESL, immigration, sex, teaching