ITHACA, N.Y. — An ex-Cornell research associate will pay a fine of $5,000 and be placed on supervised probation for 10 years for the crime of first-degree sexual abuse.
Yuen Shing Wu, 38, was sentenced Friday to a fine of $5,000 and 10 years supervised probation, which includes provisions such as: no contact with persons under the age of 18 years old, no consumption of alcohol for the duration of the probationary period, and completion of a mandatory sex offender treatment program.
Wu also faces potential deportation, as he recently lost his H1-B visa status.
On Jan. 1 and April 24 of this year, Wu subjected a person under the age of 13 to sexual contact, touching her genitals both over her clothes as well as directly. The crime occurred after Wu had attended a dinner with the victim’s family, as he had been the victim’s violin teacher for several years.
Though the two dates were the only ones was submitted in the summary of facts statement to the court, District Attorney Diane Lama presented the victim’s impact statement which indicated the sexual abuse had potentially occurred prior to the January 1st date listed, and had continued at multiple intervals in the time between the two dates listed.
The victim said in the statement that as a result of Wu’s actions, she suffered many issues such as: fear of bullying if her peers found out what had occurred, a fear of being alone in a room, fear or anxiety when around people of the opposite gender, the inability to sleep alone at nights, and difficulty falling asleep.
Judge John C. Rowley commented that although the victim’s statement attempted to demonstrate the ramifications of Wu’s crimes, “the true damage of sexual abuse can never be measured.”