A disturbing case in Changhua has shocked the public after a man pretending to perform an exorcism was convicted of molesting a woman during a supposed ritual. The man, surnamed Lee, was hired through Facebook to help move kitchen equipment. On his first day of work, he told the homeowner that there were “evil spirits” in her house and offered to perform a cleansing ritual. Under this pretext, he asked the woman to enter a room, lift her shirt to just below her bra, and then pressed his thumb from her navel up to her chest.
Feeling anxious about her recent bad luck and fearing possible misfortune, the woman reluctantly complied. However, after the incident, she realized something was very wrong and reported it to the police.
According to court documents, the incident happened on August 24, 2024. Lee had contacted the victim through Facebook after she posted a request for moving help. After the job was nearly done, he surveyed the house and claimed to sense “unclean energy,” saying he could “ward off evil.” Manipulated by fear, the victim followed his instructions and allowed the so-called ritual to take place.
In court, the woman testified that she felt scared and uncomfortable during the act but complied out of fear of being harmed by spirits if she refused. Afterward, she realized the act was inappropriate and not part of any legitimate cleansing ritual, so she filed a police report.
When questioned, Lee admitted to the physical contact but claimed it was part of a “ritual cleansing” that she had agreed to, insisting that “performing it over clothing would have been less effective.” However, the judge noted that Lee had only just met the woman and his behavior clearly exceeded normal folk or religious practices.
The court also found that Lee had previous convictions related to sexual offenses dating back to 2000 and 2001. Concluding that he had exploited the woman’s fear of the supernatural to violate her sexual autonomy, the judge sentenced him to one year in prison for forcible indecency under Article 224 of the Criminal Code. The ruling is subject to appeal.
