Jeong, 78, is the leader of the Christian Gospel Mission in South Korea, also known as Jesus Morning Star, or JMS. The court statement said that Jeong's convicted crimes include "quasi-rape" and "quasi-imitative rape," which court officials said meant illicit sexual intercourse with a person who was unconscious or unable to resist. The court refused to provide details of Jeong's convicted sexual crimes, but it was reported that dozens of his supporters gathered near the court, shouting slogans and raising placards that say Jeong isn't guilty.

Jeong called himself a reincarnated Jesus Christ or Messiah, according to news reports. However, Jeong and his defense lawyer denied that claim, according to the court statement. Jeong committed the crimes after he was released in 2018, spending 10 years in prison over sexual violence against other female followers. The sentencing comes after the popular Netflix series brought attention to his sex crimes earlier this year.