'I will never forget' says student of former taekwondo instructor charged with child abuse
King Yeung, 58, to learn fate in June after judge at sentencing hearing requests time to review case
A former Winnipeg taekwondo instructor was in court Tuesday at a sentencing hearing months after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting former underage students.
"I will never forget what you have done to me," one of two victims in court Tuesday said to grandmaster King Yeung, chief instructor at Kang's Academy.
Yeung, 58, was charged in May 2016 with sexual exploitation, child abuse and other offences that took place between 1998 and 2012 and involved two former female students who were minors at the time. Yeung pleaded guilty to the charges this past December.
A third former student came forward last year with similar accusations.
On Tuesday, he looked down at the ground while the Crown prosecutor read out a list of his offences, describing the events as "premeditated, manipulative, predatory."
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The Crown said Yeung — a former provincial coach for the national taekwondo team trials — was highly respected in the taekwondo community and abused his position of power.
The Crown said the first victim was assaulted three to four times a week during the time she spent as Yeung's student. She was 14 and under the care of Manitoba Child and Family Services when she began learning taekwondo under Yeung.
The court heard Yeung became a father figure to the girl and she accompanied him on trips to western Canada, Dauphin, Man., and the U.S.
The Crown said initial sexual messages later turned into sexual acts, all before the girl was 16.
Yeung forbade the girl to have relationships, insisting she instead "concentrate on the sport," the Crown said.
Court heard the second victim was first assaulted at age 13 during a trip to Dauphin for a taekwondo event.
The Crown is seeking a 12-year sentence, but Yeung's lawyer Matt Gould is asking for seven.
The judge requested time to evaluate details of the case and is expected to deliver a sentence when court reconvenes on May 19.