Teacher sentenced 28 years in jail in preschool sexual assault case (update)

Taipei, Aug. 16 (CNA) A man who was indicted last year on charges of sexually assaulting six children while serving as a teacher at a private preschool in Taipei was sentenced to 28 years in prison by the Taipei District Court on Friday.

Mao Chun-shen (毛畯珅), 30, was convicted on 11 counts of sexual assault by penetration against six girls under the age of 14, 207 counts of indecent assault against them, and six counts of filming obscene images.

The court said the cumulative sentences for the 224 criminal counts totals 1,252 years and 6 months. Mao will serve a prison term of 28 years, it ruled.

The ruling is subject to an appeal.

Mao was arrested in July 2023 on suspicion of sexually assaulting children at the Taipei Piramide School (台北市私立培諾米達幼兒園), which was owned by his mother.

He was indicted by prosecutors in August 2023 after being investigated multiple times for sexual assault against minors by the authorities. The first complaints against Mao were filed in June 2022.

The assaults against the six minors took place from 2022 to 2023.

After an investigation, the Taipei District Prosecutors Office charged Mao with aggravated sexual assault and aggravated indecent assault, among other crimes.

The court noted in its Friday ruling that Mao was born to a financially sound family and was well-educated. It said he specialized in childcare and had a solid knowledge of the importance of preschool children's mental and physical development.

However, Mao just did the opposite by sexually abusing six girls under the age of seven who were unable to protect themselves, purely to satisfy his sexual desires, the court said.

The court added that the abuse lasted for a year and caused severe damage to the victims.

According to the ruling, the court summoned the victims, their parents, other preschool teachers and a psychologist, watched relevant surveillance footage and went through the victims' medical records and counseling reports related to the assaults.

Despite Mao denying some of the allegations, the court said it determined he committed serious crimes.

Meanwhile, the Taipei City government has been accused of failing to effectively handle the case, prompting Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) to deliver an apology on July 17 to the children and their parents and promise to improve the city's policies and procedures.

In response to the court ruling, the city government said Chiang had ordered a thorough investigation into the case. Certain city education officials have also been penalized, including Teng Chin-chuan (鄧進權), who at the time was the deputy head of the Department of Education.

In addition, the city government said the case has been sent to the Control Yuan, Taiwan's top watchdog, for further investigation.

The city government emphasized it has "zero tolerance for any child abuse" and that staff must do their utmost to protect the rights and welfare of minors.

Meanwhile, Taiwan People's Party Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), who was the mayor of Taipei between 2014 and 2022, said there is room for the government to improve.