Man pleads guilty to rapes, burglaries at friends’ homes

CINCINNATI (AP) — A man who was considered a trusted member of a close-knit Taiwanese community in suburban Cincinnati entered guilty pleas Monday to a series of rapes in which he used stun guns and chloroform to knock out the teenage daughters of his friends while they were home alone.

Chien Tai Wu, 50, pleaded guilty in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to two charges each of rape and attempted rape, five charges of aggravated burglary and one charge each of felonious assault and illegal use of a minor in nudity oriented material.

In exchange for those pleas, three charges of felonious assault and a charge of gross sexual imposition were dismissed.

Judge William Mallory Jr. set sentencing for Dec. 7.

The initial charges covered crimes against three victims on five dates over a six-year period, according to court records.

Wu, who holds a doctorate in computer science, was arrested in July and confessed when questioned by detectives from the Hamilton County sheriff’s office, according to previous court testimony.

He was set to go to trial in January, but changed his mind after a hearing last week in which Mallory refused to throw out his statement to police.

While announcing a 17-count indictment in August, Prosecutor Joseph Deters said Wu obtained garage door control codes by offering to take care of pets for friends who went on vacation. He later used the codes to enter the homes while a teenager was home alone, Deters said.

Some victims did not remember the rape, thinking they had dreamed an attack, Deters said.