BILLINGS - A Yellowstone County jury found a Billings restaurant owner guilty Wednesday of six felony sex crimes committed against eight employees at his restaurants in 2019 and 2020.
Chien "Howard" Hwa Shen, 50, now faces up to life in prison and potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
At the time of the assaults, Shen was the part owner of three Billings restaurants: Carne Brazilian grill, Wild Ginger Japanese Steakhouse and the Asian Sea Grill. It is unclear if Shen still retains any ownership in those restaurants.
One victim first reported to police in the summer of 2020 that Shen had asked for photos of her breasts and made other comments of a sexual nature, according to court documents.
During one incident, she said he followed her into a bathroom and touched her beneath her underwear without her permission, according to court documents. A second victim told police he grabbed her breast without her permission when she asked for a raise, then gave her money, according to court documents.
Other victims told police that Shen had propositioned them for sex multiple times while they worked for him. At least two of them were under the age of 18.
The eight-day trial concluded Wednesday and featured witness testimony from victims. Yellowstone County Deputy Prosecutor Arielle Dean said that testimony proved crucial to the conviction, and she praised the victims' courage.
Shen was found guilty on six felonies: rape, three counts of sexual assault of a person under 16, prostitution, and a separate charge of child prostitution. Three additional charges were dismissed.
The jury deliberated for about eight-and-a-half hours before reaching a verdict. During trial, Shen was aided by a Mandarin translator.
Yellowstone County District Judge Jessica Fehr presided.
