RI Tech Exec Has Been Facing Child Sex Assault Charge for 5 Years — Unprecedented Delays
Monday, January 22, 2024
A top techie, an allegation and charges of child sexual assault, and just one court hearing in five years — just one.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As a policy, GoLocal does not disclose the names of alleged victims of assault, nor does it disclose the names of juveniles involved in court proceedings.
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Josh Chu is a top-tier technologist who has worked at a range of technology firms in Atlanta, Boston, and now, Providence. Today, he serves as Vice President of Engineering for Driver Technologies — a smartphone-driven tech firm.
According to his resume, he has worked for tech firms like Oracle and Upserve — Rhode Island tech guru Angus Davis’ former tech startup.
“Our focus is on providing easy access to your videos so that you can share and view them from anywhere,” says Driver Technologies in its promotion.
Beyond his executive role at Driver Technologies, Chu is also a real estate developer in Rhode Island, having just completed a significant apartment complex on North Main Street in Providence.
Charges Pending
He is being accused of sexual assault by a then-teenage family member and two counts of video voyeurism of the same child.
The complaint was filed with Providence Police in 2018 by the family of Chu’s then-wife. The allegations of molestation date back to 2015.
Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office filed criminal charges against Chu on January 18, 2019 — more than five years ago.
The alleged victim was 14 years old when the child and family went to the Providence Public Safety Complex to file a complaint — ugly charges of sexual assault and voyeurism.
Now, more than five years after Neronha’s office filed the charges, there has not been a single court hearing.
Not one.
According to multiple attorneys with direct knowledge of the case or work on similar cases, the five years of inaction by the Attorney General’s office and the court is unprecedented.
The prosecutor in the case is one of Neronha’s top prosecutors — Shannon Signore, Assistant Attorney General. She was a finalist for an appointment for a judgeship on the Rhode Island Superior Court in 2022, but was not selected for the lifetime appointment.
Multiple pre-conference hearings were scheduled before COVID hit, and all were postponed “pending further investigation,” according to Rhode Island Court records.
Three pre-trial conferences have been postponed in 2023 and now 2024. The case continued to get kicked down the proverbial road.
Neronha’s office was asked to comment on the case and how could a felony child abuse case be delayed without any hearing for five years. His office refused to comment.
Scheduled hearing after scheduled hearing simply never took place. The circumstances are unheard of for a felony child sexual assault case.
Police and Court Records Paint an Ugly Picture
According to police and court records, Chu allegedly and more than once went into the child’s room while sleeping and molested the child. According to the complaint, Chu had allegedly placed a cell phone in the bathroom set up to record the individual.
Chu’s now ex-wife is Katherine Linwood, a prominent public relations professional at Kids Count and the daughter of author G. Wayne Miller, who is a director at The Pell Center at Salve Regina University. He was a long-time reporter for the Providence Journal and the author of numerous books.
Court Case Pending for Five Years
The charges were filed almost exactly five years ago — January 18, 2019.
Count 1
According to court documents, the Attorney General charged that Chu in the summer of 2015 “did engage in sexual contact with a person 14 years of age or under."
Count 2 and 3
The second and third counts against Chu are identical and the charges state that in 2018, Chu "did use an imaging device to capture, record and store visual images of the intimate area of another person without the individual’s knowledge or consent under circumstances in which the individual would have a reasonable expectation of privacy, all for the purposed of sexual arousal, gratification or stimulation."
Chu Denies the Charges
Chu denies the charges and told GoLocal in a phone interview,
“I have these false accusations against me and you know, it's the same type of thing...is that people just make assumptions right,” said Chu in a phone interview with GoLocal.
“My ex-wife and I are very friendly with each other and you know there, she also is on my side of that one too,” said Chu.
Chu’s ex-wife said in an email to GoLocal that she declined to comment, "This is a personal matter and I have no comment."
“I mean, it's been a long battle,” said Chu.
Today, the alleged victim is now older than 18 years old.
It has been a long battle.
Case Summary - Source Court Portal
01/18/2019 Information Filed
01/22/2019 Entry of Appearance
02/08/2019 Pre-Arraignment Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Burke, Magistrate Patrick T.)
Completed
02/08/2019 Request for Discovery and Inspection
02/08/2019 Motion to Dismiss
02/08/2019 Clerks Note PSC
02/08/2019 Arraignment (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Burke, Magistrate Patrick T.)
Defendant Appears, Is Arraigned and Pleads Not Guilty
02/08/2019 Bond Setting
Surety $5,000.00 Any
02/08/2019 Recognizance Filed
02/12/2019 Order Accepted into BCI
02/12/2019 No Contact Order (Judicial Officer: Burke, Magistrate Patrick T.)02/13/2019 Entry of Appearance by Attorney General
02/14/2019 Bail Transferred
02/15/2019 CANCELED Arraignment (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Burke, Magistrate Patrick T.)
Date Vacated By Judge
03/06/2019 Objection to Motion
04/02/2019 Response to Defendant's Request for Discovery and Inspection
04/02/2019 Response to Defendant's Request for Discovery and Inspection
04/02/2019 Request for Discovery and Alibi
04/02/2019 Request for Discovery and Alibi
04/02/2019 Answer to Motion Filed
04/04/2019 State's Supp Response to Motion for Discovery & Inspection
04/04/2019 State's Supp Response to Motion for Discovery & Inspection
04/06/2019 Request for Discovery and Inspection
04/15/2019 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Montalbano, Associate Justice Joseph A.)
04/15/2019 Reset by Court to 04/15/2019
Pending Further Investigation
04/15/2019 Clerks Note PSC
05/08/2019 Entry of Appearance
06/26/2019 CANCELED Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Montalbano, Associate Justice Joseph A.)
05/20/2019 Reset by Court to 06/26/2019
Date Vacated By Judge
11/27/2019 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Montalbano, Associate Justice Joseph A.)
Pending Further Investigation
11/27/2019 Clerks Note PSC
01/29/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
Pending Further Investigation
01/29/2020 Clerks Note PSC
02/21/2020 State's Supp Response to Motion for Discovery & Inspection
02/27/2020 State's Supp Response to Motion for Discovery & Inspection
03/12/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
Pending Further Investigation
03/12/2020 Clerks Note PSC
07/02/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
03/30/2020 Reset by Court to 05/18/2020
05/18/2020 Reset by Court to 09/15/2020
09/15/2020 Reset by Court to 07/02/2020
Pending Further Investigation
07/02/2020 Clerks Note PSC
07/29/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
Pending Further Investigation
07/29/2020 Clerks Note PSC
08/18/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
Pending Further Investigation
08/18/2020 Clerks Note PSC
09/17/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
Pending Further Investigation
09/17/2020 Clerks Note PSC10/19/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
Pending Further Investigation
10/19/2020 Clerks Note PSC
11/16/2020 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Matos, Associate Justice Luis M.)
Continued for Further Hearing
11/16/2020 Clerks Note PSC
01/25/2021 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Keough, Associate Justice Maureen B.)
12/07/2020 Reset by Court to 01/25/2021
Pending Further Investigation
01/25/2021 Clerks Note PSC
03/29/2021 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Keough, Associate Justice Maureen B.)
Pending Further Investigation
03/29/2021 Clerks Note PSC
05/10/2021 Pre Trial Conference (9:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Keough, Associate Justice Maureen B.)
05/10/2021 Reset by Court to 05/10/2021
Pending Further Investigation
05/10/2021 Clerks Note PSC
11/29/2023 Pre Trial Conference (10:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Rekas Sloan, Associate Justice Linda)
Pending Further Investigation
12/06/2023 Pre Trial Conference (10:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Rekas Sloan, Associate Justice Linda)
Pending Further Investigation
01/08/2024 Pre Trial Conference (10:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Rekas Sloan, Associate Justice Linda)
Prosecutor on Trial in other Court
02/07/2024 Pre Trial Conference (10:30 AM) (Judicial Officer: Rekas Sloan, Associate Justice Linda)
Providence/Bristol County Superior Court
Case Summary
Case No. P2-2019-0259A
