HITCON Convener Convicted of Sexual Harassment, Sentenced to Detention

Guo Jie-ying, the convener of the 2025 Taiwan Hackers Conference (HITCON), has been convicted of sexual harassment and sentenced to 30 days in detention, which can be commuted to a fine. The ruling by the Taipei District Court found that Guo's actions constituted sexual harassment under the Sexual Harassment Prevention Act.

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I just happen to have time today.

The case stems from an incident on August 16, 2025, when Guo was traveling in a taxi with Ms. A from a KTV establishment to a hotel. During the ride, Guo allegedly made comments such as "I just happen to have time today" and touched Ms. A's left palm near her thumb. Ms. A reported feeling uncomfortable and subsequently filed a police report.

During the investigation, Guo admitted to making the "I just happen to have time" comment but denied sexual harassment, claiming he merely tapped Ms. A's hand to get her attention. However, the court considered Ms. A's immediate request for help from a friend and Guo's subsequent apology message as evidence of his guilt.

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We found that Guo's actions constituted sexual harassment.

Ms. A stated that the incident and the subsequent opaque internal handling by the organization caused her significant distress and doubt about the organization's ability to preserve evidence. This led her to report the case to the police, forcing her to leave the community. She expressed gratitude for the court's decision, which she feels has brought her justice, and hopes that event organizers will address how they handle sexual harassment cases involving power imbalances within their teams and protect those who speak out.

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Thank you to the court for bringing me justice.

Her lawyer, Li Ling-wei, emphasized that while Taiwan excels in information security and gender equality, true safety encompasses not only protecting digital systems but also ensuring no one in the community suffers in silence due to power imbalances, systemic failures, or fear of reprisal. The HITCON 2026 conference is set to begin today, focusing on cybersecurity challenges in the age of AI and autonomous systems.

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True safety is not only about preventing intrusion into information systems, but also about ensuring that no one in the community, due to power imbalances, systemic failures, or fear of losing opportunities, has to endure harm alone and remain silent.