Neng Yang worked for almost two decades as an educator before he was charged with sex crimes. While investigators are still looking to see how deep his suspected crimes go, psychologists say predators may lurk for years before they act on their illegal desires, so there may well be only one victim.
The end is apparently near for Neng Yang's teaching career. Facing federal charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, Yang is also facing the revocation of his teaching credential.
The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing says it will automatically suspend his credential when it receives the criminal complaint.
The federal complaint details a game Mr. Yang played with a student to trick her into sexual activity without her knowing.
Criminologists say if the details of that complaint are true, Yang may have spent his entire 18-year career waiting to pounce.
"It may be right place, right time, but they find a victim they know they can manipulate fully," said Fresno State criminology assistant professor, Dr. Toni DuPont-Morales.
She said predators often choose professions or positions of trust where they're exposed to children. But it sometimes takes years before they act.
In the meantime, she says they may address their illegal desires by traveling out of the country to places where they can get away with it, or by looking at child pornography.
Investigators say they found child pornography on Yang's school-issued computer. But eventually, Dr. DuPont-Morales said, predators usually use their positions to choose a victim.
"He sexualized that child so that she would fulfill all his sexual fantasies," she said. "And she had no control over that. She trusted him because of who and what he was."
The Clovis Unified governing board is meeting Wednesday and in a closed session, they'll discuss whether to dismiss Yang.
