메타버스 공간에서의 성폭력 범죄와 형사법적 규제에 대한 연구 - 정보통신망 이용촉진 및 정보보호 등에 관한 법률 개정방향을 중심으로 -

Due to the dramatic development of information and communication technology, terms such as virtual reality and alternative reality are no longer unfamiliar. Recently, a type of virtual world where people engage in actual economic and social activities has emerged, enabling us to experience more than just an imaginary world that resembles our reality only on the surface. In these newly created worlds, companies carry out economic transactions such as advertising and selling products, and users participate in social activities such as experiencing, purchasing products, and even socializing with others. On the other hand, as virtual reality has reached the point where it functions nearly as well as our own, sexual crimes in virtual reality have also been an increasing social problem just as in our reality. However, the current criminal justice system, designed based on the real world, is insufficient to respond to those crimes in virtual reality. Even though victims suffer greatly from sexual offences against their avatars in virtual reality, it is not easy to punish the perpetrators under the current law. In this paper, we will categorize sexual crimes that can occur in virtual reality, especially the ones that have been widely discussed as grave social issues, and analyze the limitations of the current legal system. Then finally we will suggest new alternatives.