Married Hong Kong teacher who asked 8-year-old to pose nude and had 1,120 images on his iPhone and computer pleads guilty to child porn offences
- Primary school teacher used online game to approach children and offered them incentives to strip naked
- He also had images and videos of young girls engaging in intercourse, court hears
A married Hong Kong teacher has admitted convincing two underage girls to pose and send him nude pictures of themselves, in one case in exchange for tools in an online game.
The District Court also heard that Yau Chi-ho, 38, had more than 1,120 photos and videos in his iPhone and personal computer, capturing young girls – ranging from early primary to early secondary – touching themselves and performing oral sex. In some photos of other victims, the girls engaged in intercourse.
The primary school teacher was arrested on October 9 last year, a day before his wife gave birth.
On Friday, Yau pleaded guilty to two counts of procuring another person under 16 for making pornography, and denied another count in relation to a third child. He also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
None of his victims can be identified.
Because of certain facts, the court has to understand the defendant’s psychological condition
Acting senior public prosecutor Laura Liu King-fan said Yau met his first victim, a 12-year-old named only as Z, via TikTok in July 2019 and they began exchanging messages on WhatsApp.
In those messages, Yau talked about sex and asked about the girl’s sexual experience.
He also persuaded her to show him her genitals, taught her how to take nudes and to touch different parts of herself in the process.
The court heard the girl sent him at least 10 pictures and nine videos of herself between July 2019 and July 2020.
The following month, in August 2020, Yau met an eight-year-old named only as X, via an online game known as Identity V, in which he went by the name “Bad Brother”.
Their talks initially began in the game, with Yau offering the girl free virtual tools to play with.
As she became interested, she exchanged phone numbers with Yau and they continued chatting on WhatsApp.
Yau then offered to buy her those tools in exchange for her nude pictures, despite knowing she was only eight.
Worried that her mother might find out, the girl refused the request. She also refused to meet Yau as requested, but agreed to chat via video call.
In that brief conversation, she displayed her naked breasts and genitals but could not remember if she had shown her face.
When Yau then asked her to touch herself, she refused and hung up on him.
She later sent a picture of herself fully clothed and Yau refused to give her those tools, saying that he only caught a glimpse of her body.
On another occasion, Yau told the girl he was 17 and sent her a picture of his penis, adding he hoped she would grow up sooner so that they could meet and he could touch her.
Their chat lasted for 10 days, during which the girl also introduced him to a friend who wanted the tools.
When Yau found out that the girl had recounted their conversation to a friend, he asked her to keep it a secret. But her mother later discovered the nude photos in her phone and reported the case.
Under caution, Yau admitted asking his online friends for nudes so that he could masturbate.
The court heard Yau had been receiving psychological treatment upon his own request since his remand last October.
Judge Edmond Lee Chun-man will hear mitigation and sentence Yau on September 1, pending a psychological assessment.
“Because of certain facts, the court has to understand the defendant’s psychological condition,” the judge said.
