The lawyer and family of a Vietnamese comedian charged with molesting a boy in the U.S. are seeking all possible factors that could lead to a lenient sentence for him, as he is scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing later this week.

Hong Quang Minh, who goes by the name Minh Beo in the Vietnamese show business, pled not guilty to all three charges against him at an arraignment in Santa Ana, California on April 15.

The charges include oral copulation of a minor, attempting to commit a lewd act upon a child under age 14 and meeting with a minor with the intent to engage in lewd conduct.

The 38-year-old was arrested on March 24 and is being held at an Orange County jail on a US$1 million bail. He faces up to five years and eight months behind bars if convicted.

His pretrial hearing is scheduled for this Friday, May 13, whereas the first-instance trial takes place on June 10.

Back in Vietnam, Minh Beo is a comedian and entertainer who runs his own theater and used to be the host of several TV series, most notably the charity show Luc Lang Vang (Golden Rattle), which gives cows to needy households.

As the Luc Lang Vang host, Minh Beo had won the hearts of TV viewers and local residents in remote, poverty-stricken areas, where the program was shot.

The artist is also known for his charitable work, while his theater Sao Minh Beo is dubbed a “charitable theater,” as it offers cheap tickets to allow low-income earners to enjoy the arts.

His family is therefore trying to make use of these social contributions as mitigating factors, which his lawyer, Do Phu, who defended him in the arraignment, will present to the jury at the upcoming pretrial hearing, according to Dat Viet newspaper.

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