Toronto Sun

A group of Toronto-area men are accused of orchestrating a series of gang sex assaults against four victims they met at a local church, police alleged Thursday.

The victims — three women and one teenaged girl — met their alleged attackers through a Korean community church in the Greater Toronto Area, the name of which is protected under a publication ban, Toronto Police Det. Deborah Harper said.

Six men are accused of sexually assaulting the four victims between the fall of 2009 and February of this year.

“Different victims were assaulted at different times,” Harper said, adding some of the victims were assaulted together.

Other than to say they met through the church, Harper said she couldn’t definitively say how the men allegedly got to know the victims — whether they may have befriended them or gotten to know them through particular roles they played in the church.

Over the last week, Hyung Jun Ha, 26, of Toronto, Jong Il Lee, 33, of Orangeville, and Sang Cheol Lee, 37, of Toronto, were arrested on various counts of gang sexual assault, forcible confinement, threatening death, administering a drug for sex, assault and making child pornography in relation to the teenaged victim. None of the men was known to police before this investigation, Harper said.

Canada-wide warrants were issued for Jin Hyun Kim, 33, Yoon Hyun Cho, 26, and Jung Jay Lee, 26, all of Toronto, who are wanted on the same charges, Harper said.

Harper wouldn’t comment on what form of child pornography the men allegedly made, nor would she say whether the other three victims, though not minors, were subjected to the same thing.

Asked whether police believe there may be other alleged victims, Harper said, “I’m hoping this is the end of it, but again, we’re not closing that door.”

Jong Il Lee was charged with seven counts of gang sexual assault, six counts of forcible confinement, seven counts of threatening death, six counts of administering a drug for sex, one count of making child pornography, two counts of assault and one count of choking, police said.

Ha and Sang Cheol Lee were each charged with five counts of gang sexual assault, four counts of forcible confinement, four counts of threatening death, four counts of administering a drug for sex, one count of making child pornography and one count of assault, police said.

Anyone with information was asked to contact police at 416-808-7474 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-8477, 222tips.com, or by texting TOR and your tip to CRIMES.

tamara.cherry@sunmedia.ca