Top ballet star faces jail for assaulting four teenage girls
A FORMER principal dancer at the english National Ballet is facing a lengthy jail sentence after being found guilty of sexually assaulting young students.
Yat- Sen Chang was convicted of 13 offences against four teenagers. All of the attacks took place at the english National Ballet and Young dancers Academy in london between 2009 and 2016.
His four female accusers, aged between 16 and 18 at the time, told Isleworth Crown Court that Chang inappropriately touched them during massages on the schools’ premises.
Cuban national Chang, 48, became a principal dancer at the National Ballet in 1993 and starred in The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and in Rudolf Nureyev’s production of Romeo and Juliet.
He also performed at the Wembley concert held in 2007 on the tenth anniversary of the death of diana, Princess of Wales, who was a patron of the company.
Judge edward Connell told Chang his offending ‘escalated in seriousness’ and warned he is likely looking at a ‘lengthy custodial sentence’.
Prosecutor Joel Smith said the ‘internationally renowned’ star was ‘revered’ by young dancers and students. He told jurors Chang used his position to commit sexual offences against ‘children whom he had been entrusted to teach’.
Chang had claimed he had ‘no idea’ why the allegations were made and said he had not touched any of the complainants in an inappropriate or sexual way.
But he was convicted after 13 hours and one minute of jury deliberations and will be remanded in custody until his sentencing on June 18.