Prosecutors appeal not-guilty verdict on Nono sexual assault charges

Taipei, May 28 (CNA) Taipei prosecutors on Wednesday filed an appeal against a ruling by a district court earlier this month that acquitted Taiwanese entertainer Nono of six counts of sexual assault and indecent behavior against several women.

In May last year, prosecutors at the Taiwan Shilin District Prosecutors Office indicted the 54-year-old Nono, whose real name is Chen Hsuan-yu (陳宣裕), on three counts of rape, two counts of attempted rape, and two counts of forcible indecency involving a total of six women.

Earlier this month, the Taiwan Shilin District Court found Nono guilty of one count of attempted forcible intercourse and sentenced him to 30 months in prison, while acquitting him of the other six charges due to insufficient evidence. The ruling is subject to appeal.

After reviewing the verdict, the prosecutors in charge of the case found flaws in the ruling and filed an appeal in accordance with the law on Wednesday, the district prosecutors office said in a statement.

The case came to light in 2023 after a woman accused Nono of making unwanted advances in a Facebook post, prompting several women to press charges against him for alleged sexual misconduct.

After an investigation, the prosecutors office charged Nono with the above-mentioned seven counts.

Given that the case involves sexual offenses, the district court conducted a closed trial. After nearly one year of proceedings, the court handed down its ruling earlier this month.

Nono was sentenced in connection to a 2011 incident involving a woman he met during the filming of a TV program, according to court documents.

After filming, Nono repeatedly contacted the victim and offered to drive her home, which she initially declined. However, he persisted, and the victim eventually accepted, trusting him due to his status in the entertainment industry, the court said.

Instead of taking the woman home, Nono drove her to a riverside carpark in Taipei's Dadaocheng, where he attempted to rape her, only stopping after she resisted, it said.

The court ruled that the victim's statement was credible and handed down a guilty verdict and 30-month sentence to the TV comedian host.

However, the six other charges were dropped due to insufficient evidence, according to court documents.