YouTube comedy group 'Wackyboys' member indicted for raping minor

Taipei, Sept. 25 (CNA) Taipei prosecutors on Thursday indicted a member of a popular YouTube comedy group for raping a minor and committing sexual offenses against multiple other women.

According to the indictment, 32-year-old Sun I-sheng (孫羿泩), known as Sun Sheng (孫生) in the comedy skit group Wackyboys (反骨男孩), committed the string of crimes between 2022 and 2024.

On Oct. 13, 2023, Sun invited a girl under the age of 16 to his home to watch him practice dancing, and then proceeded to rape her while she was listening to music, the indictment said.

In two other instances, in October 2022 and March 2023, Sun sexually assaulted two other women in their homes, in one case after getting a haircut and in the other after filming, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, in 2024, Sun illegally shared with friends videos he had made of him and a woman having sex in July of that year, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors said Sun had repeatedly violated his victims' trust and personal autonomy by assaulting them, and then sought to evade responsibility by offering them money or emotionally blackmailing them.

Even after an investigation was launched, Sun did not engage in any introspection about his actions, but pressured his victims to refuse to be questioned or to lie about what had occurred, the indictment said.

Based on relevant evidence, phone records and sworn testimony, prosecutors charged Sun with crimes including having sexual intercourse with a minor, forced indecent assault, disseminating sexual images against the will of a victim, and violations of the Personal Data Protection Act.

Prosecutors urged the court to impose a heavy sentence, citing Sun's lack of remorse and negative attitude throughout the investigation.