A teacher surnamed Chen (陳) was on Thursday sentenced to 12 years in prison for secretly filming more than 30 female students and teachers, and circulating the videos on social media.
The Taichung District Court convicted the 40-year-old on 55 counts of contravening the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act (兒童及少年性剝削防制條例), with Chen committing the offenses from 2015 until public prosecutors initiated an investigation last year.
During the nine-year period, Chen taught at a cram school and was a substitute teacher in an elementary school. Prosecutors found in his possession sexual images and pornographic videos of more than 30 victims, mostly underaged girls, and some fellow teachers.
Photo: Chen Chien-chih, Taipei Times
Chen concealed pinhole cameras inside air fresheners and water bottles in washrooms and shower stalls while working at the cram school and elementary school, the court filing said.
Taichung prosecutors had asked the court for a 15-year sentence, saying he took advantage of his position as a teacher to sexually exploit underaged girls, causing them mental harm and emotional distress, and bringing shame to the teaching profession.
Chen has been in detention since November last year. He had requested bail and asked for leniency, saying he had reached a settlement with three of the victims, paid some compensation and had to look after his aging parents at home.
However, the judges rejected his request, citing his long-term behavior as a sexual offender who took advantage of young girls, causing serious damage to their mental and emotional development.
Chen’s actions have also caused fear in society and intensified concerns about public safety.
Chen’s case caught the authorities’ attention when they were investigating an illegal online sex forum called “Chuangyi Sifang” (創意私房), a members-only site based in Taiwan.
The investigation initially focused on the owner and proprietors of Chuangyi Sifang and a related local porn site, which led to the arrest of more than 400 people last year, most of whom were later indicted.
Chen was a member of the forum, which included Taiwanese entertainer Mickey Huang (黃子佼), whose prosecution is ongoing. Huang allegedly possessed explicit videos of underaged girls, prosecutors have said.
After the arrests and indictments last year, prosecutors said it was still difficult to shut down Chuangyi Sifang. Although the site’s administrators and members are mainly Taiwanese, the owner, who goes by the name “Lao Ma” (老馬), is allegedly a Chinese citizen who registered the site, while its data are stored overseas.
Humanistic Education Foundation officer Tseng Fang-wan (曾芳苑) called for more strict background checks when hiring teachers — both in the private and public sectors.
“We lack a certification system for teachers who work with children, and there is no monitoring mechanism. Cram schools only ask for a police certificate [that the applicant has] a clean criminal record. We need to overhaul the system to cover the loopholes, and create a system in which government agencies are involved in the vetting and evaluation process, as well as to keep [personnel] files updated,” Tseng said.
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