A professor from the University of Alberta (UAlberta) has been charged with sexual assault and his wife for confinement of a 16-year-old girl.
Zhixiang Wang and his wife Xinmei Chen appeared in court on March 13, 2013, according to Crown Prosecutor Mark Huyser-Wierenga. They have not yet entered a plea.
Wang, a 51-year-old researcher exploring the links between proteins and cellular growth in the development of skin and brain cancers at UAlberta, was charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of sexual contact with a minor between Nov. 2009 and May 2010.
His wife Chen, who is also a lab technician, according to the UAlberta website, was charged with one count of confinement of a minor from May 31, 2010 to Jan. 29, 2013, according to police.
According to Scott Pattison, a spokesman for the Edmonton Police Department, the pair were arrested on Feb. 14, and charged at Edmonton police headquarters. There were no other potential victims, Pattison said.
Wang and Chen are university employees currently taking a leave of absence, according to a media release from the health sciences department at UAlberta. The university considers changes to employment status due to criminal charges on a case-by-case basis.
“Factors . . . include whether there is a real or perceived connection between the charges and the person’s employment and whether the person’s presence on campus posed a real or perceived danger to the university or members of its community,” said science department spokesperson Bryan Alary.
Wang and Chen were released on bail on Feb. 14, 2013.
Wang and Chen are not currently in police custody and are set to next appear in court on April 24, 2013, according to Huyser-Wierenga.
