FREEHOLD – A Monmouth County Grand Jury returned a 15-count indictment Friday, charging a local youth tennis instructor with varying charges of sexual assault and other misconduct involving a student and other local children, announced Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Terry Y. Kuo, 26 of Colts Neck, also known as “Victor Lee,” is charged in the indictment with one count of first degree Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault, one count of second degree Attempted Sexual Assault, one count of first degree Causing or Permitting a Child to Engage in Child Pornography, one count of second degree Manufacturing Child Pornography, one count of third degree Possession of Child Pornography, one count of fourth degree Lewdness, two counts of third degree Aggravated Criminal Sexual Contact, one count of fourth degree Stalking, one count of second degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child, two counts of third degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child and two counts of third degree Obscenity.
Kuo is scheduled to be arraigned on this indictment on February 20, 2018 before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Vincent N. Falcetano.
The charges stem from an investigation commenced after one of Kuo’s 13 year old tennis students alleged various instances of sexual misconduct at Kuo’s hands during the summer and fall of 2017. A subsequent investigation conducted by the Marlboro Police Department, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victim’s Bureau and Computer Crimes Unit revealed child pornography on the defendant’s electronic devices as well as improper conduct with additional juveniles.
If convicted of Attempted Aggravated Sexual Assault, Kuo faces up to 20 years in a New Jersey state prison. If convicted of Sexual Assault, the defendant faces up to 10 years in prison. Both sentences are subject to the provisions of the “No Early Release Act” (NERA) requiring 85 percent of a sentence to be served before becoming eligible for release on parole. Both charges would also be subject to the provisions of “Megan’s Law” and Parole Supervision for Life following any release from state prison.
If convicted of the other first degree crimes, Kuo faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison. If convicted of the second degree offenses, Kuo faces five to ten years in state prison, the third degree charges carry additional sentences of three to five years in prison on each count and fourth degree crimes carry sentences up to 18 months in prison.
Investigators are seeking additional information about Kuo’s activities and looking to identify other possible victims.
Anyone with information is asked to contact either Detective Edward Ungrady of the Marlboro Township Police Department at (732) 536-0100 ext. 1099 or Detective Shawn Murphy of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at (732) 431-7160 ext. 7032.
Anyone who wishes to make an anonymous report can call the Monmouth County Crime Stoppers’ confidential tip-line at 1-800-671-4400. Tipsters can also text “MONMOUTH” and their tip to 274637 or they can email a tip via the website at www.monmouthcountycrimestoppers.com.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Ryan Lavender.
Kuo is represented by Mitchell Ansell of Ocean Township.
Despite these charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, following a trial at which the defendant has all of the trial rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and State law
