TV host indicted for allegedly possessing child pornography

Taipei, May 17 (CNA) Television presenter Mickey Huang (黃子佼) was indicted on Friday for allegedly possessing sexually explicit videos involving minors.

The Taipei District Prosecutors Office indicted him after the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office found deficiencies in its initial probe and returned the case for further investigation on April 19.

Earlier in April, Huang had been given two years of deferred prosecution.

According to prosecutors, they found in their latest investigation that Huang had been a member of the online forum "Chuangyi Sifang" (創意私房) since Feb. 12, 2014.

They added that Huang had purchased sexually explicit videos involving minors and had downloaded images and videos that featured the breasts and sexual organs of young girls.

The hard drive found in Huang's residence contained sexually explicit videos involving several women, seven of whom were underage, according to prosecutors.

As a result, prosecutors charged Huang according to the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act on Friday, while continuing their search to ascertain whether there are more videos and images involving underage girls.

In August 2023, Huang was arrested but released on bail of NT$350,000 (US$10,868) and barred from leaving Taiwan after an online personality publicly accused the entertainer of forcibly kissing and taking nude photographs of her when she was 17 without her consent a decade earlier.

During raids on Huang's residence and studio at that time, police seized seven sexually explicit videos involving minors which the presenter had purchased online between Aug. 8, 2017 and July 8, 2023.

After being offered a deferred prosecution agreement, Huang admitted to violating the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act and agreed to pay an NT$1.2 million fine within six months as well as write a statement of repentance within three months.

At that time, prosecutors declined to indict Huang for molestation and other charges, citing insufficient evidence and noting that he had reached settlements with his accusers.

However, after the prosecutors forwarded the case to the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office, the higher prosecution authority considered the investigation incomplete and returned the case to the Taipei District Prosecutors Office for further investigation.