OC Mom Sentenced For Sexually Abusing Her Son

SANTA ANA, CA — A Fountain Valley woman was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison for repeatedly sexually abusing her son and misdemeanor child abuse of her daughter.

Yan Zhang, 45, was convicted July 22 of felony continuous sexual abuse of a child and misdemeanor child abuse. Jurors acquitted her of attempted murder. Orange County Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue dismissed a sentencing enhancement for attempted premeditated murder after closing arguments, which could have opened her to a life prison sentence.

On Friday, Donahue rejected a motion for a new trial.

Zhang's defense attorneys argued that jurors were likely "confused" about a large police training dummy brought into the courtroom for the prosecution's case that was eventually excluded from the trial. Defense attorneys also argued they never received evidence from home surveillance videos from the father of the children.

Zhang faced six, 12 or 16 years in prison. The defendant had 752 days credit behind bars toward the sexual abuse conviction and 180 days credit to satisfy the punishment for misdemeanor child abuse of the daughter, according to court records.

Donahue ordered Zhang to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.

Zhang's attorney, Roger Chien, said after the verdicts, "She maintains her innocence and we do intend to appeal."

The defendant was accused of pulling a plastic bag over the head of her daughter in an attempt to kill her and attacking her with a jump rope, cleats and a roller beginning when she was 10 to 15 years old, according to Deputy District Attorney Alyssa Marie Staudinger. She was convicted of molesting her son for years, the prosecutor added.

The daughter was a reluctant witness, Staudinger acknowledged in closing arguments of Zhang's trial.

"She didn't want to be here," Staudinger said. "She didn't want her mom punished. ... She just wanted a mom."

And yet the daughter testified about seeing "evil" in her mother's eyes when she was enraged, Staudinger said.

Part of the evidence in the trial was video taken by the father.

"You can see the rage in her eyes," Staudinger said. "The complete detachment."

Zhang would at times withhold food from her daughter, the prosecutor said. If the family ate at 6 p.m., her daughter might not get fed until 9 p.m., she said.

The defendant's ex-husband wanted to keep the family together and "lived in fear" of Zhang, Staudinger said. Zhang threatened to "pin everything on him if he called police," according to the prosecutor.

The couple managed to negotiate a divorce with little acrimony initially. She was paid $100,000 and he got custody of the children with Zhang allowed visitation, Staudinger said.

"All she wants is money," Staudinger said. "She gets 100 grand and she walks away."

But when her son "blocked her number" and his sister also said she did not want to see their mother, the father pressed them for details why, the prosecutors said. At the end of September 2023, the son came forward with the allegations of sexual abuse, Staudinger said.

In November of that year, at the recommendation of police, their father sought a temporary restraining order against Zhang, Staudinger said.

City News Service