Vietnamese comedian Minh Beo pleads guilty to sex crimes

11 August, 2016 | Uncategorized
Minh Quang Hong, a.k.a. Minh Beo. (Photo courtesy: Orange County District Attorney’s office)

Vietnamese entertainer Hong Minh Quang, popularly known as Minh Beo, has pleaded guilty at court in the US state of California to having sex with a minor.

The 38-year-old Garden Grove resident was charged in March with one count each of oral copulation with a minor, attempting to commit a lewd act upon a child under the age of 14, and meeting with a minor with intent to engage in lewd conduct.

On Wednesday, Minh pleaded guilty to the first two of the three crimes.

According to a press release from the Orange County District Attorney’s office, under the plea deal, Minh will be sentenced to 18 months in state prison and must register as a sex offender for life.

Minh reportedly travelled from Vietnam to Orange County, California, and told dancers at a local radio station talent show on March 20 that he was hosting auditions for a video project.

Three days later, he reportedly assaulted a 16-year-old boy who’d come to audition, prosecutors said.

The boy reported the crime to the Garden Grove Police Department, and the next day an undercover officer posing as a minor under the age of 14 communicated with Minh, who set up a meeting for sex with what turned out to be a cop, prosecutors said.

Hong was arrested on March 24.

 

– TiVi Tuan-san