Television host Mickey Huang (黃子佼) has been sentenced to eight months in prison and fined NT$100,000 (US$3,074) for possession of a large collection of sexually explicit images involving minors and promoting a market for those images.
The verdict can be appealed.
Huang joined an online forum called “Chuangyi Sifang” (Creative Private House, 創意私房) on Feb. 12, 2014, and used the forum to purchase sexually explicit videos and images, a statement released yesterday by the Taipei District Court said.
Photo: Chen Tsai-ling, Taipei Times
An investigation found that he had 2,259 sexual image files that involved at least 35 minors.
The court said it arrived at its decision, because Huang had in his possession a large number of sexually explicit images, showed no remorse for his actions and failed to reach settlements with victims and plaintiffs.
The fine can be converted into community service.
Taiwanese law states that anyone who possesses any sexual image or video of a minor without justification can be imprisoned for no more than one year and fined between NT$30,000 and NT$300,000.
The court said the minors reported that when the sexually explicit images were taken, they were between 10 and 17 years old and attending elementary or high school.
Their faces and body features could be easily identified, and their personal information and data, such as school uniforms and student identity cards, were also revealed, the court found.
These sexual image files were treated as ordinary commodities and put on the online forum for anyone to buy, and photos and screenshots related to the victims’ lives were also illegally highlighted on the forum page and file titles to attract members, the court said.
These files seriously harmed the physical and mental development of the children and teenagers involved, and Huang’s behavior — purchasing and helping to boost video trading — contributed to the harm, it said.
The case first made waves in August last year during an investigation of Huang’s behavior when prosecutors discovered a hard drive at his residence containing sexually explicit videos of several females, seven of whom were underage, prosecutors said.
In May this year, prosecutors indicted Huang based on provisions in the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒童及少年性剝削防制條例), while continuing to investigate the identities of the victims in the sexual images.
On Aug. 12, prosecutors said they discovered another 41 minors involved in the case and sent those findings to the court to be combined for review with the previous indictment. They also sought a prison sentence of seven to nine months for Huang.
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