Chinese National Ki Cheung Yau Charged in Cyberstalking Case

Los Angeles resident Ki Cheung Yau, 27, a Chinese national, is behind bars on federal cyberstalking charges after allegedly weaponizing the internet to humiliate and terrorize a Minnesota college student for over three years. Court documents unsealed in St. Paul detail a relentless campaign of digital sabotage, where Yau created fake social media, dating, and pornographic profiles using the victim’s real name, photos, and personal information.

Posing as the woman, Yau used the fraudulent accounts to solicit sexual encounters, post explicit content, and invite strangers to meet the victim for violent sex acts. The deception ran so deep that two men showed up unannounced at her home in January 2021, asking for her by name—each believing they had arranged a rendezvous. The psychological toll was immediate and severe, forcing the woman to abandon her residence and change her phone number to escape the relentless flood of unwanted contact.

The fraud unraveled in February 2021 when the victim discovered multiple fake profiles in her name across Instagram, Facebook, and adult websites. Many of the posts included graphic sexual invitations and personal details only someone with malicious intent would exploit. Since January 4, 2020, Yau allegedly maintained these accounts, using them to amplify the victim’s exposure to strangers seeking sexual contact.

Yau was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in the District of Minnesota with one count of cyberstalking. He made his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Gail J. Standish in the Central District of California, where he was ordered detained and transferred to Minnesota for further proceedings. His next court date has not yet been scheduled.

The case was jointly investigated by the FBI and the St. Paul Police Department, highlighting the growing reach of cyber harassment across state and international lines. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case, emphasizing that digital abuse carries real-world consequences and federal penalties.

A criminal complaint is not a conviction—Ki Cheung Yau is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. But the evidence paints a disturbing picture of one individual’s ability to weaponize technology, turning everyday platforms into instruments of fear and control.