Taiwanese TV host Mickey Huang (pic) has been sentenced to eight months in jail for possession of 2,259 sexually implicit images involving 35 minors, the Taipei District Court said on Dec 3.
Huang, who was charged under Taiwan’s Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act, was also fined NT$100,000. The fine can be converted into community service.
A statement issued by the district court on Dec 3 said that it imposed the punishment on Huang as the 52-year-old showed no remorse for his actions and had failed to reach settlements with the victims.
It added that the victims were aged between 10 and 17 when the images were taken, with their faces easily identified and personal information revealed.
Huang was absent from the court hearing. His lawyer said he would discuss with the artiste whether to appeal.
Once a prolific television presenter who won several Golden Bell awards, Huang fell from grace when he became embroiled in Taiwan’s #MeToo movement in June 2023. He was accused by two female netizens of sexual harassment that took place about 10 years ago.
A criminal investigation into Huang was conducted, and he was indicted in May after raids on his residence and studio uncovered several pornographic videos. They included seven sexually explicit videos involving minors, which he bought online between 2017 and 2023.
He was also found to have been a member of the online forum Chuangyi Sifang, which circulates illegal pornographic material, since 2014.
Huang is married to Taiwanese actress Summer Meng and they have a two-year-old daughter.
The prosecutors said in August they had discovered 41 more minors involved in the case, and sent those findings to the court for review and inclusion in the charges. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
