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Former DPP leader Tsai gets 14 years for sexual abuse

The former director of the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) Sijhih City (汐止) chapter, Tsai Mao-hsiung (蔡茂雄), was yesterday sentenced to 14 years and two months in prison by the Taiwan High Court after being found guilty of sexually abusing three junior-high-school boys.

The court ordered that Tsai, 53, receive three years of behavioral therapy before beginning his jail sentence.

In making its ruling, the court said Tsai had caused his victims serious mental and physical distress. Another aggravating factor was that Tsai had not admitted his crimes, the court said.

Tsai is allowed to appeal his case to the Supreme Court.

The court said that Tsai, a married man, met "Boy A" at a convenience store in Sijhih shortly after the boy had graduated from elementary school in June 2004. Tsai invited the boy home with him and had sex with him later that day.

Tsai had since met the boy every two or three days for sex, the court said. Tsai was said to have paid the boy between NT$300 and NT$500 for each sexual encounter.

The court said that in September 2004, Boy A had introduced Tsai to "Boy B." Tsai took Boy B to his office, offered him alcohol and drugs and then abused him, the court said. Later that month, Boy A introduced Tsai to "Boy C," who was also abused.

In March 2005, Boy A's parents became suspicious about their son's disposable income and confronted him. He admitted what had happened and his parents went to the police.

Tsai was arrested in July 2005 during a raid on his residence and office in Sijhih. At the same time, police found naked photographs of Boy A and Boy B, which revealed minor wounds on the boys' bodies, together with drugs and sex toys.

The court said Tsai had threatened to hurt Boy A's family when he learned that they had filed charges against him. He also tried to bribe the family to withdraw their accusations, the court said.

Tsai was expelled from the DPP after his arrest in July 2005.

In a statement issued at the time, the party said it would prevent "serious" criminals from becoming elected DPP officials.

"A person with a serious criminal record will be prohibited from becoming a DPP official," said Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋), then DPP secretary-general.
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