Former Hong Kong teacher gets 18 months in prison for molesting student twice

A Hong Kong court handed a former teacher an 18-month prison sentence on Monday for sexually abusing a student in 2020. District Judge Gary Lam Kar-yan described the case as serious, emphasizing there was no room for a reduced sentence despite it being Cheng Hon-sze's first offence. The 32-year-old was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault for groping the 15-year-old and forcing her to engage in an obscene act, while being acquitted of seven other charges as the victim did not explicitly refuse him and the acts did not clearly meet the definition of indecent assault.

Cheng admitted to engaging in intimate acts with the student in the school's music storage room and other locations. The judge took into account the 11-year age gap between the defendant and victim, the level of indecency, and the harm caused to the pupil when determining the sentence. Cheng taught the girl from Forms One to Six and was also in charge of the school's marching band, of which she was a trumpeter.

The victim's trauma report revealed she was still grappling with complex emotions towards the defendant, feeling both hurt and cared for, which had led to her developing "twisted values" that made her struggle with personal boundaries and suppress her disgust. The judge emphasized the victim's long road to recovery and urged her to seek help if needed.

The defendant was ordered to complete his sentence through a partially consecutive sentence, totaling 18 months. He was also required to undergo further work with social workers and receive appropriate professional help from the Correctional Services Department, as advised by a clinical psychologist. The judge noted Cheng had a low to moderate chance of reoffending but expressed willingness for him to receive professional help.

The defense argued that Cheng's lack of relationship experience led him to develop feelings for the victim, overriding his judgment, and that he deeply regretted the strain his actions placed on his family.