Media personality Lucifer Chu gets jail time for indecent assault

Taipei, March 29 (CNA) Media personality Lucifer Chu (朱學恒) was sentenced Friday to 14 months in prison in a case of indecent assault against a city councilor, which dates back to 2022, according to a Taipei District Court ruling.

Chu, who became a prominent TV talk show host after translating several English-language fantasy novels into Chinese, was indicted by prosecutors in October last year for allegedly groping and forcibly kissing Kuomintang Taipei City Councilor Chung Pei-chun (鍾沛君) twice at a Taipei restaurant on Aug. 6, 2022.

In June 2023, Chung decided to go public with the allegations "in order to be a fighter rather than a victim."

At Chung's request and with her attorney present, Chu signed a letter a few days later, apologizing to the Taipei City councilor and promising to stay away from her.

Chung said, however, that the letter had made no mention of the indecent assault incident.

She subsequently filed a complaint against Chu, who she said had shown "no remorse for his behavior."

The Taipei District Court on Friday found Chung guilty of indecent assault and sentenced to him 14 months in prison -- a ruling that can be appealed.