A charity TV show aimed at helping needy farmers in Vietnam has found a new host, after the former one Minh Beo was arrested on child sex charges in the U.S last month.

Luc Lac Vang (Golden Rattle) seeks out needy households in rural areas throughout Vietnam to give farmers cows and an initial capital investment to start raising cattle.

The show, aired every Sunday on national TV channel VTV, was greatly impacted after the former host Minh Beo was apprehended on charges of sexually abusing a minor in the U.S. on March 25.

The April 17 episode of Luc Lac Vang will be on air without Minh Beo, but the next show on Sunday the 24^th will be led by a new host, Chi Trung, the show’s producer announced on Tuesday.

Trung, a seasoned play actor and comedian based in Hanoi, will take charge of the ceremony in which the sponsored cattle are handed over to the selected farmers.

Lasta, the show’s producer, said late last month that they had “suffered huge damage” after the arrest of Minh Beo.

The producer has been forced to edit footage omitting scenes that include Minh Beo while seeking a new host.

Born in 1961, Chi Trung is also deputy director of the Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theater in Hanoi. He was recognized as Meritorious Artist, an honorary title for local distinguished artists, in 1997.

Besides hosting Luc Lac Vang, Minh Beo also runs a theater under his name in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City. Despite the controversy, the artists at Sao Minh Beo are trying to keep the lights on at the venue in support of the jailed owner.

Minh Beo during a Luc Lac Vang episode. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Minh Beo is currently being held at an Orange County jail, and is scheduled to appear at a court hearing on April 15.

There may be more than one hearing and the official first-instance trial can sometimes take place from six months to a year later.

With three felony counts, the Vietnamese entertainer faces up to five years and eight months behind bars if convicted.

His family has traveled from Vietnam to visit him in jail, according to some local media sources, and reportedly managed to hire a lawyer at very high expenses.

In the latest development, a press conference regarding the case of Minh Beo is expected to take place in Westminster, California, on Wednesday morning (U.S. time).

The event is to be chaired by California State Senator Janet Nguyen and Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, according to a media note on the senator’s website.

Senator Janet Nguyen, however, would not elaborate on the announcement yet to be made.

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