Jung Myung Seok, the 81-year-old founder of South Korean sect Providence, has been sentenced to 33 years in prison for sexually abusing 16 female followers.
The Daejeon District Court handed down a sentence heavier than the 27 years requested by prosecutors, citing Jung's abuse of religious authority and repeated offences.
The court heard how Jung brainwashed victims into believing he was the messiah to place them in a psychological state where they could not resist his attacks.
Jung was ordered to wear an electronic tag for 15 years and faces a 10-year ban on working at institutions serving children, teenagers, and people with disabilities.
The movement's second-in-command, Kim Ji Seon, was also jailed for seven years for aiding Jung in committing the sexual offences.
