Prosecutor: Former Tennis Instructor Convicted of Repeated Sexual Crimes Against 12-Year-Old Student

A former area youth tennis instructor has been convicted of committing numerous sexual crimes against a 12-year-old student over the course of more than a year, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Wednesday.

Terry Y. Kuo, 32, of Colts Neck, was found guilty following a two-week trial held before Monmouth County Superior Court Criminal Division Presiding Judge Jill G. O’Malley.

“The conduct of this defendant, so thoroughly outlined by our prosecutors during the course of this trial, was nearly incomprehensibly manipulative and predatory,” Prosecutor Santiago said. “We sincerely thank the jury for carefully weighing the facts and reaching the appropriate conclusion.”

In all, the jury found Kuo guilty of: two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child via manufacture of child sexual abuse materials, first-degree kidnapping, three counts of second-degree sexual assault, second-degree endangering via manufacture of child sexual abuse materials, third-degree aggravated criminal sexual contact, third-degree endangering via possession of child sexual abuse materials, third-degree endangering via engaging in sexual conduct, third-degree obscenity, fourth-degree criminal sexual contact, and fourth-degree conspiracy to commit evidence tampering.

The case background …

The case stemmed from an investigation that was initiated after one of Kuo’s students alleged that he had engaged in various instances of sexual misconduct on multiple occasions from August 2016 through November 2017.

A subsequent investigation conducted by members of the Marlboro Township Police Department and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Bureau and Computer Crimes Unit resulted in the recovery of digital files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on the defendant’s electronic devices, as well as evidence of sexual crimes committed against the victim.

Leveraging the digital and physical evidence, as well as witness testimony, including from the now-19-year-old victim, the state proved that Kuo showered her with gifts such as expensive electronics, jewelry, and designer clothing and accessories while coercing her into engaging in sexual activity with him.

Kuo was arrested in Marlboro in November 2017 and initially indicted in February 2018. Superseding indictments were filed upon the recovery and review of additional evidence, in December 2018 and January 2023, before the trial began late last month.

Sentencing in the case has been scheduled for Friday, Dec. 1, at which time Kuo could face a term of up to life in state prison. He currently remains detained at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution (MCCI) in Freehold Township.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office