Mickey Huang Given Suspended Sentence for Sexual Videos of Minors
The Taiwan High Court has ruled that former Taiwanese TV host Mickey Huang, who recently appealed his case of owning thousands of sexually explicit videos of minors, can avoid a year and a half jail term if he stays out of trouble for the next four years. Huang has reached a settlement with 37 underage victims in the videos.
REPORTER:
Disgraced Taiwanese entertainer, Mickey Huang, most recently known for buying sexually explicit videos of girls aged 10 to 17 online, may be given a new chance at life.
REPORTER:
That’s after an appeal ruling on Tuesday saw the former TV host handed a suspended sentence of one and a half years for data privacy violations.
REPORTER:
If Huang keeps a clean record for the next four years, he will not have to serve time. The judge said Huang showed remorse and had already compensated his victims.
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The defendant has no prior convictions that resulted in a fixed-term prison sentence or higher.
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The defendant has also reached settlements with all 37 victims and completed all compensation payments.
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All victims have agreed to allow the defendant a suspended sentence.
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Huang’s case was a bombshell for Taiwan’s entertainment industry, part of a wave of sexual misconduct allegations against public figures that became known as Taiwan’s MeToo movement. He was accused last year of assaulting and coercing girls into taking nude photos. Prosecutors dropped that case due to lack of evidence. But during their investigation, they found the videos at the center of the current case on his personal hard drive.
REPORTER:
Last December, a lower court sentenced Huang to eight months for sexual exploitation of minors, a decision that many criticized as too lenient. For Huang’s victims, the appeal was a chance to see justice served.
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But the lawyer representing them says the most recent ruling shows cracks in Taiwan’s criminal justice system.
BITE:
We hope the conclusion of this case is the beginning of healing for the victims and also serves as a fresh start for child protection in Taiwanese society. To some extent, this outcome also highlights that our current laws may still be insufficient in deterring digital sexual crimes.
REPORTER:
Huang is only guilty of consuming the videos, not of producing them. And all 11 people found guilty of running the online forum where the videos were sold have been given sentences ranging from 17 months to 12 years.
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The ruling on Tuesday can still be appealed. The victims’ lawyer says the real goal is not to get a lengthy sentence, but to draw attention to the harm caused by child sexual abuse material and to stop its spread.
REPORTER:
Ryan Wu and Irene Lin for TaiwanPlus.
