Ronald William Hevey, an American financial analyst, is in court for indecent assault after allegedly hugging, kissing and grabbing a local HKUST student.
Hevey, who pleaded not guilty, met the young woman while asking for directions, with the entire encounter lasting 15 minutes, reports the SCMP.
The court heard that he told the student that he had a meeting and asked her to show him the way to a certain building.
When they arrived, they went to an open space nearby, and Hevey hugged her.
The MIT and Yale grad admitted to hugging the student twice, with one hug lasting (an undoubtedly extremely uncomfortable) 30 seconds.
He also said that he kissed the girl on her left ear for 10 seconds.
X, the victim, claims that he then asked her to walk to some railings nearby, after which the defendant hugged her from behind.
She also said that he touched her underwear, attempted to touch her private parts, and grabbed her buttocks.
X testified that she pushed the man away and said “no” multiple times during the incident.
Hevey said he got the impression that the student liked him because she was smiling while they were talking.
He also claimed he thought X enjoyed his advances, stating he “remembered she said the words ‘you’re passionate’” while kissing her ear.
A week later she and her friends bumped into Hevey at a McDonald’s branch on campus, and they told security. The incident was then reported to the police.
During the trial, Hevey was asked what he thought would happen if he had done the same thing to a female student in the US, and he said: “My guess is it’s a little more conservative here.”
He also apologised in court saying he did not mean to hurt anybody.
Photo: Calvin YC via Flickr
