WESTMINSTER, Calif. – Vietnamese entertainer “Minh Beo” was sentenced today to 18 months in state prison and lifetime sex offender registration for sexually assaulting a minor boy and attempting to commit a lewd act on a fictitious minor. Minh Quang Hong, who goes by the stage name “Minh Beo”, 38, Garden Grove, pleaded guilty on Aug. 10, 2016, to one felony count of oral copulation of a minor and one felony count of attempting to commit a lewd act upon a child under 14 years old.

Prior to the crime, Hong traveled from Vietnam to visit Orange County and Atlanta, Georgia. Hong is a well-known Vietnamese entertainer with access to children.

On March 20, 2016, Hong spoke to a group of dancers at a talent show held at a radio station in Huntington Beach and told the dancers that he was hosting auditions for a video project.

On March 23, 2016, Hong orally copulated 16-year-old John Doe when the victim arrived for the audition. He violated his position of trust and exploited his celebrity status. Shortly thereafter, John Doe reported the crime to the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD), who investigated this case.

The next day, an undercover GGPD officer posing as a fictitious teen communicated with the defendant while further investigating the case. Hong set up a meeting with the officer, whom he believed to be a minor, with the intent to engage in oral copulation. The defendant was subsequently arrested by GGPD.

Deputy District Attorney Bobby Taghavi of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted this case.

Orange County District Attorney / Case # 16WF0648 / December 16, 2016