Vietnamese entertainer arrested on suspicion of child sex abuse in US
A well-known Vietnamese entertainer has been arrested in the U.S. on suspicion of sexually assaulting a minor, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) said on March 28.
Hong Quang Minh, who goes by the stage name ‘Minh Beo,’ 38, was charged on March 25 with three felony counts, according to an OCDApress release.
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They include one felony count of oral copulation of a minor, one felony count of attempting to commit a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, and one felony count of meeting with a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct, according to the document seen by Tuoi Tre News.
If convicted, Minh faces a maximum sentence of five years and eight months in state prison and a mandatory lifetime sex offender registration, the OCDA said.
Minh is currently being held on US$1 million bail and is scheduled for a continued arraignment on April 15, 2016.
Dung Taylor, a well-known show promoter in the U.S., told Tuoi Tre(Youth) Newspaper on Tuesday that Minh Beo was arrested on March 24 and has been detained at the Orange County Jail.
Dung said he already contacted the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco to provide more details about the arrest of Minh.
Minh Beo, who is a well-known Vietnamese entertainer with access to children, was invited to join a show organized by D&D Entertainment on April 9.
At the time of the crime, Minh is accused of traveling from Vietnam and visiting Orange County and Atlanta, Georgia, according to OCDA.
On March 20, 2016, Minh is accused of speaking to a group of dancers at a talent show held at a radio station in Huntington Beach and telling the dancers that he was hosting auditions for a video project.
On March 23, 2016, Minh is accused of orally copulating minor John Doe 1 when the victim arrived for the audition.
Shortly thereafter, John Doe 1 reported the crime to the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD), who began investigating the case.
The next day, an undercover GGPD officer posing as a minor under the age of 14, communicated with the defendant while further investigating the case.
Minh is accused of attempting to set up a meeting with the officer with the intent of committing a sexual assault. The defendant was subsequently arrested by GGPD.
The OCDA is seeking the public’s help in identifying potential additional victims of Minh Beo, encouraging them to contact investigators.
Minh started his tour in the U.S on March 18, according to the information published on his Facebook page.
