The Taipei District Court on Wednesday barred a 20-something Turkish student from leaving the country after he was accused of trying to sexually assault a Taiwanese student he met online and filming bedroom trysts with dozens of women without their knowledge.
The court also imposed a residence restriction on the man, identified by his Chinese surname, Wang (王), who was released on NT$200,000 bail after the court turned down a request from the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office to detain him on the sexual assault charge.
Prosecutors have appealed the court’s decision.
Photo: Wang Min-wei, Taipei Times
Investigators said a female student living in northern Taiwan called the police in April, saying that Wang, whom she had met over the Internet, had asked her to meet him at an MRT station, but later “lured” her to his apartment by claiming that he had to “feed his pet rabbits.”
The woman said that Wang tried to sexually assault her shortly after she arrived at his Taipei residence and that although she fought him, Wang still managed to kiss her on the lips and chest, the investigators said.
Wang yesterday denied all allegations, saying he had “stopped once the student said ‘no,’” the investigators said.
After being released on bail, he said he had not ruled out taking legal action against the woman for making false accusations.
Investigators who searched Wang’s residence said they found 29 video files on his cellphone and computer showing him having sexual intercourse with different women. While the women in the videos appeared to be lucid, they might have been unaware that they were being filmed, investigators said.
They said they had seized and encrypted the video files to prevent their release.
Wang said he has never forced any woman to engage in sexual intercourse and that he filmed the encounters for his own viewing, adding that he had “made copies of the tapes for the women.”
To prove that his sexual activities with the videotaped women were consensual, Wang said he had had consensual sex with almost 500 Taiwanese women since he came to Taiwan four years ago.
Sources say Wang, who is studying at a private university in Taipei, was born to a Turkish father and a Canadian mother. Because of his good looks and fluency in Mandarin, he was once invited to be a guest on a Taiwanese matchmaking reality show, the sources said.
The show’s production team said it had conducted strict background checks on all the guests and Wang had “seemed quite normal.”
The school Wang reportedly attends said there was a junior with the same name as Wang, but it was uncertain if they were the same person.
“We will await the results of the police investigation,” the school said.
Additional reporting by Lai Hsiao-tung and Wu Chih-wei
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS