A child on Thursday told a Kelowna, BC courtroom details about his music teacher’s inappropriate touching during a piano lesson.
Neil No-No Wong, 55, has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual interference.
The alleged victim spoke from a room at the Kelowna Child Advocacy Center and virtually testified in court with a caregiver by his side.
Wong, wearing a dark gray suit and tie, sat quietly in the courtroom and sometimes rested his head in his hand when the child was speaking in court.
The child testified in 2021 that Wong inappropriately touched her during private piano lessons at Wong’s home in Kelowna.
CBC News is not releasing the child’s age or gender to protect his identity.
Child no longer wanted to attend piano lessons
The piano student’s mother also testified in court on Monday, saying the family sent her child to weekly lessons at Wong’s home over a period of several months in 2021 until the allegations surfaced.
The mother told the court she became aware of the alleged sexual touching in early 2022 while driving with the child in her car.
The child no longer wanted to go to piano lessons. When the mother asked why, the child said it was because Wong touched her, the mother testified.
The mother broke down in tears when asked by prosecutor Murray Kay to identify Wong in the courtroom, and the judge called for the proceedings to be adjourned.
“It’s not just about me”
Kay played a video recording of a conversation between the alleged victim and Const. Renee Brand, a specialist child forensic interviewer at the RCMP’s Child Abuse Unit, held in a room at the Child Advocacy Center in March 2022.
The child was holding a stuffed animal and told Brand they were concerned about the safety of other children taking piano lessons from Wong.
“It’s not just about me. I worry about the other children who are there [having lessons],” the child said to Brand.
Under cross-examination, defense attorney Grant Gray asked the child why they hadn’t discussed the allegations sooner.
The alleged victim testified that they were concerned that Wong would go to jail and they didn’t want people to go to jail.
The child also said they were worried they would get into trouble as well.
Sexual offense charges
Wong was arrested in February 2022, according to police.
Announcing the charges, an RCMP spokesman said investigators believed there could be more victims due to Wong’s access to youth.
Since then, however, police have not reported any further sexual assault charges against Wong, and he is not facing any further criminal charges.
Wong is a former Kelowna High School music teacher.
In 2014, he was charged with student voyeurism and sentenced to 18 months in prison.
CBC News requested that court documents related to the case be unsealed, but earlier this month a judge ruled they remained sealed because of the parole.
Wong was suspended from School District 23 in 2013 and resigned from his position in 2015, according to a teacher regulation document.
In 2016, Wong agreed to have his teaching certificate annulled, the decision said.
His trial on charges of sexual assault and sexual interference is expected to last two days.
