A Social Security employee in Massachusetts has been arrested on charges of using his job to try to recruit a woman for paid sex.
Authorities said Dae Sung Kim was the claims specialist on duty when the woman, who’d become unemployed, showed up on March 8 and asked about applying for Social Security benefits. Mr. Kim directed her to another office but then went back into the agency’s system and got her phone number, leading to a monthslong effort to pester her to have sex for money, investigators said.
He initially said they could “help each other out” privately, and in follow-up messages, which investigators recounted in court documents, the two discussed the price for sex and birth control, before an undercover investigator took over and began communicating with Mr. Kim in place of the woman.
They finally agreed to meet at the parking lot for the Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg. According to their text messages, Mr. Kim said he would pay $100 for “a lil quick fun in the car,” with the possibility of more later. He said he’d arranged for someone to watch his child for him so he could make the appointment.
When he showed up on Oct. 11, authorities were there to meet him.
Mr. Kim was arrested and appeared in court Monday, where a judge released him pending trial.
The Washington Times has sought comment from his lawyer.
According to the court documents, Mr. Kim first called the woman just after her initial visit to the Gardner, Massachusetts, branch of Social Security and made his initial overture. She declined.
But investigators say she accidentally dialed Mr. Kim three days later and then hung up — and he responded with a text message.
The unidentified woman then went to authorities, who had her text Mr. Kim back, which led to the months-long solicitation by text and phone call. The undercover agent took over the texting in June, reaching out to Mr. Kim after three months of silence.
The agent and Mr. Kim texted off and on for several more months, according to the court documents, culminating in the plans to meet earlier this month.
Mr. Kim was charged with trying to induce someone to cross state lines for prostitution.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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