'They were up to no good': Colts Neck tennis coach shifts blame for porn photos onto kids
FREEHOLD - The Colts Neck youth tennis instructor on trial on charges he sexually abused a student when she was 12 and 13 testified in his defense Wednesday, denying the allegations and shifting the blame for pornographic photos taken of the girl onto others, including children her own age.
Questioned about one of the days when pornographic photos were taken of the child he is accused of abusing, Terry Kuo, 32, claimed to have witnessed "the possible acts of actors, plural, that may have been involved in the creation of these photos on that particular date.''
The accuser, now 18, last week testified that Kuo took those photographs of her in 2017, when she was 12, during a tennis lesson at the Marlboro Swim Club, when she went to retrieve a ball that went into the woods.
"Very simply put, her testimony is not credible,'' Kuo testified Wednesday.
Previously: Colts Neck youth tennis coach vows to appeal outcome of child sex case mid-trial
He went on to say there were peers the girl's own age at the tennis court that day. He said the girl deliberately hit the ball into the woods.
Kuo said at least one of the other children present went into the woods with the girl when she went to retrieve it.
"She did eventually come back, but from the expressions on their face, by their body language and demeanor, okay, I'm suspecting they know in their hearts they weren't supposed to be doing, okay, in a public facility in front of plenty of people — they knew they were up to no good,'' Kuo testified.
"This is not speculation,'' Kuo said. "This is the truth.''
More: Colts Neck tennis coach rewarded girl with gifts for touching her, alleged victim says
Questioned by his attorney, Joshua Nahum, Kuo said he never touched the girl inappropriately, never took pornographic photos of her or downloaded them onto any of his devices.
Kuo's testimony attempted to cast blame for pornographic photographs found on his devices onto others. He said hundreds of customers as well as 20 or more employees had free access to computers at his tennis pro shop; the passwords for them were posted there, and customers were encouraged to use them to charge their phones.
Employees all had company laptops, he said.
"We had design artists,'' he said. "They know how to manipulate a photo like you wouldn't believe.''
Kuo's accuser testified that he gave her gift cards, electronics, clothing and even a Louis Vuitton handbag in exchange for letting him touch her.
Kuo, who testified he grew up poor and came into some money after starting his tennis pro-shop business, said he bestowed gifts on many friends.
'He's putting on a show': Judge kicks out Colts Neck tennis coach at his sex assault trial:
"I came to some degree of money, it's not a billion dollars, but it's some, but also understand, I'm a giver, I'm a very generous person,'' Kuo testified. "I love buying girls gifts. I love buying my friends gifts.''
But, he said the accuser "caught on to me being an entrepreneur,'' saying it was hard for him to hide, especially since he wore a $36,000, 14-carat gold Rolex watch.
Once, after he gave the girl's mother an iPhone because she had broken hers, Kuo claimed the accuser deliberately smashed her phone and demanded he give a new one to her. He said he refused, but later worked out an arrangement where her mother bought one from him for her at a discount.
He said the accuser also told her he needed money because she was poor and hungry.
"I felt very sympathetic,'' Kuo told the jury. "I'm not the kind where I would let a child go hungry.''
An assistant prosecutor's cross-examination of Kuo painted a different picture of the defendant.
Ryan Lavender, assistant Monmouth County prosecutor, questioned Kuo about a series of text messages he purportedly sent to a business partner in February 2015.
Lavender asked Kuo if he recalled sending a text message to the partner asking him "if he was down for a Russian girl.''
Kuo responded, "I would have to refer back to the message.''
Lavender asked him about another message that followed in which Kuo purportedly texted, "I can very easily brush you up on some Russian phrases.''
More: What did Colts Neck tennis pro do to derail his child sex trial and shock the judge?
Kuo gave the same response.
Lavender then asked him about a text message sent to the business partner 20 seconds later that said. "Think about the possibilities of waking up with an (the surname of the alleged accuser) in the house.''
Kuo responded, 'I don't recall being the person that sent that. That's why I would like to refer back to the messages.''
Lavender followed up with a series of text messages he said Kuo sent to the business partner six months later that said, "Where is the picture of (the accuser's last name)? I didn't get it, bro. I need it. I can't get through these pushups, man. I need to see her eyes. Nine-hundred pushups, bro. I want to feel her.''
When Lavender asked Kuo if he recalled that message, Kuo responded, "I need to know what device this came off of. No, I don't recall anything from 2015. It has no relevancy to the time frames that are set forth in this case.''
Kuo is accused of sexually assaulting and taking pornographic photographs of the girl between August of 2016 and November of 2017.
He is charged with kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, criminal sexual contact, causing or permitting a child to engage in pornography, manufacturing child pornography, possessing child pornography, obscenity, endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy to tamper with evidence.
Attorneys are expected to sum up their cases for the jury today.
The trial is before Superior Court Judge Jill Grace O'Malley.
Kathleen Hopkins, a reporter in New Jersey since 1985, covers crime, court cases, legal issues and just about every major murder trial to hit Monmouth and Ocean counties. Contact her at khopkins@app.com
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Colts Neck tennis coach denies taking porn photos of young pupil
