A 74-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting his step-granddaughter multiple times, Suwon District Court said Monday.

According to the court, the convict Park had inappropriately touched the victim four times and raped her two times between July 2004 and 2008. 

The victim was 10 years old at the time of the first assault. Park reportedly told the victim he was giving her sexual education.

The victim and her younger sibling came to live with their paternal grandmother and her remarried husband in 2004 due to their parents’ divorce.

The victim spoke in court that she had endured the abuse to protect her sibling (gender unknown). She belatedly reported the assault after she came of legal age.

Since the report was made, the trial took a year to give the verdict. The victim is now 22.

Park denied the charges but the court determined him guilty based on the coherent testimony given by the victim and her sibling.

Park will serve a 10-year prison term, as well as receiving 80 hours of rehabilitation program for sexual offenders.

Whether Park will appeal is yet to be known.

By Lim Jeong-yeo (kaylalim@heraldcorp.com)