Hong Kong Court Jails Repeat Sex Offender for Four Months Over Teenage Girl's Bus Assault

A Hong Kong court has sentenced a 65-year-old man to four months imprisonment for indecently assaulting a teenage girl on a bus. William Wu, a hardware store salesman, was caught on camera groping a Secondary Form three student from behind on June 5. The viral footage showed Wu reaching towards the girl, who attempted to move away, but he persisted. The incident occurred on the upper deck of a double-decker bus traveling on Mong Kok Road. Wu had previously pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault. His defense stated he had three prior convictions for sexual offenses and expressed willingness to undergo psychological treatment. The court heard that Wu had left Hong Kong after the assault and was arrested on June 8 as he re-entered the city from mainland China at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. The victim, who was on her way home from classes, did not immediately report the incident due to fear. Principal Magistrate Don So delivered the sentence on Tuesday at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts. Hong Kong is currently proposing reforms to its sex crime laws, which largely date back to the 1970s, to introduce new offenses and expand the scope of existing ones, including provisions for consent and protections for vulnerable individuals.

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The defence told the court on Tuesday that Wu had three convictions for sexual offences, adding that he was willing to undergo psychological treatment.