Tennis instructor accused of kidnapping, sexually assaulting student

A New Jersey tennis instructor with a lengthy rap sheet has been indicted on a slew of new charges — including kidnapping and sexual assault involving a student and other local kids, prosecutors said.

Terry Y. Kuo, 26, of Colts Neck, was charged with three counts of first-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault and one count of second-degree attempted aggravated sexual assault, among other charges in a 47-count superseding indictment filed on Dec. 21, prosecutors said in a statement released Wednesday.

The victim in the alleged kidnapping was an underage girl who Kuo had instructed, and the incident happened in May 2017, according to Christopher Swendeman, a spokesman for the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office. The kidnapping charge is linked to one of the sexual assault charges, he said.

Authorities began digging into Kuo’s case after one of his 13-year-old tennis students alleged various instances of sexual misconduct by Kuo in the summer and fall of 2017.

Investigators turned up child pornography on Kuo’s electronic devices, and discovered that he had engaged in improper conduct with other minors, prosecutors said.

If he is convicted on first-degree kidnapping or first-degree aggravated sexual assault, he could face life behind bars, with 25 years of parole ineligibility.

Kuo’s defense attorney, Richard E. Incremona, told the Asbury Park Press that his client maintains his innocence.

“An indictment is a charging document, not a conviction,” he said. “Things are not always as they appear at first and I believe that will become evident as the case progresses.”

Kuo was previously hit with an attempted aggravated sexual assault charge and child porn-related charges, among others, in a February indictment.

He remains at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold Township as the investigation continues.

Kuo is the founder and CEO of ATS Tennis, a Colts Neck-based tennis racquet company, his Linkedin page says.

Source: Read Full Article