Aaron Yan faces two charges, potentially carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment | How are multiple offenses punished? A criminal lawyer from Fidelity Law Firm explains the principle of one crime, one punishment, and related legal issues concerning the application of old and new laws in criminal law.

Case Background and Legal Disputes

Aaron Yan faces two charges, with a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment | Mirror News reporters Lin Chia-yi and Liu Wei-ting

In June this year, Internet celebrity Yao Le came forward to accuse artist Yan Yalun of secretly filming private videos of the two of them when he was a minor and leaking the videos to other friends. After several months of investigation, the prosecutor determined that Yan Yalun and Yao Le had consensual sexual intercourse, and the private videos taken by Yan Yalun were not secretly filmed. However, Yao Le was underage at the time and the video taken by Aaron Yan was passed on to two netizens. This was an act of "intent to spread". Today (11/8), the Shilin District Prosecutor's Office concluded the entire case and prosecuted Yan Yalun for violating the Child Sexual Exploitation Act.

A criminal lawyer at Fidelity Law Firm stated that, according to Articles 50 and 51 of the Criminal Code, courts will "declare individual sentences" for defendants who have committed multiple crimes, also known as "one crime, one punishment," and will punish them according to the number of crimes committed. There will be no leniency for repeat offenders, habitual offenders, or those involved in related offenses. For example, if one instance of fraud results in a two-year prison sentence, two instances of fraud would result in a four-year sentence. This is based on the number of offenses, but the final sentence will be combined and served concurrently. However, the maximum term of imprisonment cannot exceed thirty years.

Opinion of Fidelity Law Firm

Lawyers at Fidelity Law Firm advise that in similar cases, one should not only look at the news headlines, but also return to the evidence, legal requirements, procedural stages, and the client's actual objectives. If the case has entered the court, district prosecutor's office, investigation bureau, or negotiation process, the earlier the information is gathered, the more room for maneuver it will retain.

What should be confirmed first when encountering similar cases?

• First, organize the event timeline, notices, contracts, chat logs, photos, videos, and payment information.
• Confirm the current stage of the process: it may be just a consultation, you may have been interviewed, you may have received a summons, you may have entered into court proceedings, or you may need to file a lawsuit to seek compensation.
• Assess whether there are immediate risks such as statute of limitations, evidence preservation, detention, imprisonment, settlement negotiations, or media exposure.