Elderly Acupuncturist Accused of Immobilizing Patient with Needles Then Sexually Assaulting Her

A 90-year-old acupuncturist from North Carolina has been arrested after one of his patients accused him of using needles to partially paralyze her during a treatment session and then sexually assault her, reports said. 

Shi Ying Kuai, of Asheville, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with second-degree sex offense and sexual battery following an investigation into his acupuncture clinic, the Asheville Police Department said. 

The investigation stemmed from allegations made by River Lajoice that Kuai assaulted her in his home office during a visit in August. 

Lajoice, 28, told local outlet WLOS that she had been a patient of Kuai's for four years and saw him about twice a week without incident —  until her appointment in August. 

“I started to realize it wasn’t right when he started taking my dress down – as I had needles in me,” Lajoice told the station. “[He] just began taking my clothes off basically, and that’s when I was like, OK, this isn’t right and then [he] proceeded to put his mouth on my body and it just heavily escalated from there.”

Lajoice, who said the needles had partially paralyzed her on the table, said she yelled out for help and pleaded with Kuai to stop. 

“I was telling him to stop. I was like, ‘Please stop, no,’ and he just kept repeating, 'Thank you, thank you,' and he kept going,” she said.

Lajoice said she had trusted Kuai and even referred more than two dozen people to his acupuncture practice. 

“He was basically like a grandfather, if anything, like a great-grandfather,” Lajoice told WLOS. “That’s why I feel very strongly about coming out about this, not only is it respect to myself, and not letting somebody get away with this, but also to warn people and let them know this is not a man to be trusted."

“He actually thought he was going to get away with this, and it was going to be OK,” Lajoice said.

According to the Asheville police, Kuai is being held in the Buncombe County Detention Facility on $100,000 bond. 

Police encouraged anyone else who has been assaulted by Kuai to contact their office by calling (828) 252-1110 or by texting TIP2APD to 847411.