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Amos Yee charged over indecent statements about children, racial disharmony comments

The 27-year-old now faces a total of seven charges, including three under the Enlistment Act
Amos Yee charged over indecent statements about children, racial disharmony comments
Amos Yee Pang San, 27, arriving at the State Courts on Wednesday (Aug 26) morning.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Danial Zahrin

Amos Yee was on Wednesday (Aug 26) charged with offences relating to online content allegedly published by him that were found to be "alarming and racially divisive" and advocating sexual relationships involving children.

The 27-year-old received two charges for offences relating to race under Section 298A of the Penal Code for knowingly attempting to promote on grounds of race, feelings of disharmony between different racial groups.

He was also charged with two counts under the Protection from Harassment Act over indecent communications likely to cause alarm.

In their statement on Tuesday, police said Yee had made statements advocating sexual relationships involving children and the abolition of laws prohibiting child sexual abuse material.

He did not speak to the media when he arrived just after 8.20am, but pursed his lips as he entered the building. He was accompanied by his mother.

He is represented by lawyer Divanan Narkunan and had his current court bail of $10,000 revoked, but was reoffered a court bail of $15,000. 

His case is fixed for a pre-trial conference on Sept 18.

If convicted for knowingly attempting to promote feelings of disharmony between different racial groups on grounds of race, Yee will face a jail term of up to three years, a fine, or both.

If convicted on charges for making indecent communications likely to cause alarm, he will face a fine of up to $5,000.

The police have also issued an Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA) Disabling Direction to take down the video on X on Aug 18, which X has complied with. The video is no longer available.

For the remaining offensive content, the police have issued Stop Communication Directions to Yee to remove the existing posts on his personal blog.

Prior charges under the Enlistment Act

Prior to the charges handed to him on Tuesday, Yee faced three charges over his national service obligations for failing to report for pre-enlistment medical screening over nine years, from April 26, 2016, to March 19, 2026.

Yee is also accused of leaving Singapore without valid exit permits over two periods: From Dec 13, 2015, to April 19, 2016, and from Dec 15, 2016, to March 19, 2026.

During that time, Yee fled to the US and was granted asylum in 2018.

He was deported from the US on March 19, 2026 following his conviction by a grand jury in an Illinois court for solicitation and possession of child pornography.

He was subsequently arrested  by enlistment inspectors from the Central Manpower Base on March 20 upon his arrival at Changi Airport.

Yee has been out on $10,000 bail since March 26, and was set to plead guilty to the charges on Sept 7.

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editor@asiaone.com 

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