Yat-Sen Chang: Ballet dancer found guilty of sex assaults
Published
image captionYat-Sen Chang abused his position of trust and power, police say
A former English National Ballet principal dancer has been found guilty of sexually assaulting his students.
Yat-Sen Chang attacked girls and women at the English National Ballet and Young Dancers Academy in London between December 2009 and March 2016.
The 49-year-old was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration. He was cleared of one offence.
He will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on 18 June.
Judge Edward Connell told Chang his offending had escalated in seriousness and warned him he faced a lengthy custodial sentence .
By Press Association 2021
Yat-Sen Chang
A former English National Ballet principal dancer has been told he faces a lengthy jail term after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting young female students.
Yat-Sen Chang, 49, was convicted at Isleworth Crown Court of 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration, a court official said.
The offences took place at the English National Ballet and Young Dancers Academy in London between December 2009 and March 2016, and relate to four female complainants who were aged between 16 and 18 at the time.
They accused Chang of touching them inappropriately during massages at the schools.
Last modified on Wed 12 May 2021 10.33 EDT
A revered former English National Ballet (ENB) principal dancer faces a lengthy prison sentence after he was convicted of sexually abusing young dance students in his care.
Yat-Sen Chang, 49, a leading figure within the British and international ballet scene, used his “power and prestige” to commit sexual offences against young students at ENB, a trial heard.
A jury at Isleworth crown court in west London on Tuesday convicted him of 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration.
Young girls whom he had been entrusted to teach had been in awe of his status and Chang had believed his fame would protect him from any complaints, according to prosecutors.
Internationally renowned ballet dancer Yat-Sen Chang, 49, (pictured) used his fame and respectability to groom and sexually assault four starstruck girls aged between 16 and 18
A former English National Ballet principal dancer faces a lengthy jail term after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting young female students. Internationally renowned ballet dancer Yat-Sen Chang, 49, used his fame and respectability to groom and sexually assault four starstruck girls aged between 16 and 18.
Chang would switch into a creepy mode and offer the girls sports massages, during which he touched them inappropriately.
He was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault and one count of assault by penetration at Isleworth Crown Court.