PUBLISHED ONJanuary 25, 2026 7:55 AMBYWong Dao EnAn American university student has been charged with harassing three 17-year-old teenagers between 2024 and 2025, while he was on exchange in Singapore.
According to Shin Min Daily News, the student, 22-year-old Kevin Gao (transliterated) faces four charges under the Computer Misuse Act and Protection from Harassment Act.
The three teenagers were all online friends of Gao's. Their identities cannot be revealed due to a gag order.
The court heard that Gao had gotten to know one of the victims, C, through an online game in March 2021.
When Gao came to Singapore on an exchange programme in 2025, he found out that she was studying at a local polytechnic and obtained her address.
Between March and September 2025, Gao harassed C multiple times, stalking her on several occasions, Shin Min reported. He would follow C from the train station into her classroom, and when classes ended, followed her from the classroom back to the train station.
Suspecting that she was being stalked, C texted Gao and confronted him. Gao admitted to his actions and transferred $100 to her in an attempt to seek her forgiveness. However, C returned the money back to him before blocking his number.
Nonetheless, Gao continued to stalk the victim twice thereafter. On one occasion, he allegedly pleaded with C to become friends again and snatched her phone away from her.
Gao went on to purchase 14 different international phone lines and attempted to call her through WhatsApp on 15 different occasions, Shin Min reported.
From July 14 to 29, Gao even created 11 different Telegram accounts to try and contact C, calling her 1,074 times in a span of 15 days.
Feeling unsafe and fatigued from the incident, C refused to go to school, reported Shin Min. On the occasions when she did, she found herself unable to concentrate on her studies, which affected her academic performance. She eventually moved and changed her phone number and email address.
According to Shin Min, Gao had allegedly targeted two other 17-year-old teenagers, identified as A and B, prior to harassing C.
He had gotten to know them through an online platform in 2020. However, B began distancing herself from him in 2022. Gao later realised when he arrived in Singapore that A had also cut off all contact.
He received a stern warning from the police on Sept 9, 2024, after turning up at the latter's home on several occasions.
A disgruntled Gao subsequently hired a Russian hacker to gain access to their Telegram accounts, reported Shin Min. The hacker was successful in infiltrating B's account, but not A's.
Under the Protection from Harassment Act, Gao could face a fine not exceeding $5,000, imprisonment not exceeding six months, or both.
A verdict on Gao will be delivered on March 4.
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daoen.wong@asiaone.com
