The Taiwan High Court yesterday upheld a 26-year-old man’s conviction for sexual assault of underage boys, but slightly reduced his sentence.
Lee Ching (李靖), who was found to have molested at least 10 boys younger than 16 from about 2014 to 2015, saw his initial 20-year sentence reduced from 20 years to 18 years and nine months in yesterday’s ruling, which can be appealed.
Lee is already serving a life sentence for murdering a 12-year-old boy in Hsinchu City in May 2015 — a case the Supreme Court closed in September last year.
Lee’s accomplice in the murder, 32-year-old Chen Tien-hsin (陳天心), also received a life sentence.
Investigators working on that case found that Lee had sought out young boys from schools near his residence in Hsinchu to engage in sexual activities.
The boys, who were students at elementary or junior-high schools, told authorities they thought Lee was just being friendly when he invited them to isolated places.
The victims testified that Lee convinced them to pull down their pants and underwear, and then touched their genitals and engaged in sexual acts in some cases.
Lee is a menace to underage boys and has committed numerous offenses against them, warranting a lengthy prison sentence, the High Court said, but added that, because he is already serving a life sentence, further convictions and appeals would have no effect on his time in prison.
In the murder case, investigators said they found no sign of sexual assault on the body of the victim, who Lee had told Chen to strangle to death after luring the boy to Lee’s apartment to play computer games.
Lee was reportedly involved in the occult, and it has been speculated that the boy was killed due to a belief that keeping a victim’s spirit as a “child ghost” would confer magical powers upon the practitioner.
Investigators found a worship alter with offerings and occult icons at Lee’s residence.
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