1-6-2024 (TAIPEI) Taiwanese actor-singer Aaron Yan has been handed a seven-month suspended prison sentence by the Shilin District Court, bringing an end to the high-profile sex video scandal involving the 38-year-old and his former partner, 22-year-old influencer Yao Le.
According to reports in the Taipei Times, the court ruled that Yan had recorded videos of himself engaging in sexual acts with a minor – Yao Le, who was 16 years old at the time – from December 2017 to June 2018, with the intention of sharing the footage.
In addition to the suspended seven-month sentence, which can be commuted to a fine, Yan received a separate four-month suspended sentence for violating the Personal Data Protection Act by sending the explicit images to two individuals. This latter sentence cannot be commuted.
The sentencing comes after Yan reached a settlement with Yao Le in March, the details of which remain confidential due to a non-disclosure agreement between the two men.
Following the court’s decision, Yan issued a statement through his management company, Rise & Shine, expressing his intention to “continue to contribute to society” and thanking the judge for the “clear judgment and for noting his sincere self-reflection.”
The scandal first came to light on June 20, 2023, when Yao Le took to social media to expose his relationship with Yan, revealing that they had been involved since 2017 when Yao Le was 16 and Yan was 31. Yao Le also accused Yan of infidelity, rape, and recording intimate videos without consent, which were subsequently leaked in 2018.
While Yan admitted to the relationship and speculated that the videos might have been leaked after sending his phone for repairs, the rape charge against him was dismissed in December 2023 due to insufficient evidence.
In a dramatic turn of events, Yan gatecrashed Yao Le’s press conference on June 21, 2023, publicly apologizing to the influencer before leaving the venue.
