SINGAPORE – He prowled online for victims, looking for girls under 16 years old who posted details on a dating bot available through social media platform Telegram.
James (not his real name) claimed he was a student at the Singapore Sports School, and, like the other young people on the online platform Leomatch, was looking for friends.
Except he was 22, and a working adult who toggled between being a clerk, swimming teacher, banquet server and a Luge operator in Sentosa.
Over a six-month period from August 2023, James lured two young girls into having sex with him.
In February 2026, James, now 25, was sentenced to 11 years' jail and 10 strokes of the cane for statutory rape, sexual grooming of a minor below 16 years old and several other offences.
Prosecutors said James, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the identities of the victims, had demonstrated predatory behaviour when he preyed on unsuspecting pre-pubescent schoolgirls.
In February alone, two men, including James, were hauled to court for preying on young victims.
One of the first reported cases was in July 2025, when Yong Ming Quan, who was diagnosed with paedophilic disorder and had a history of voyeuristic disorder, tried to lure a 14-year-old boy he met on the dating platform into having sex with him as "friends with benefits".
The 31-year-old was arrested and sentenced to a year's jail for sexual grooming.
Dating apps in Singapore are restricted to those 18 and older.
There are no barriers to entry on Leomatch, with users needing only to key in their name, age and location. There are more than 14 million monthly users on the platform, based on Telegram data.
Checks by The Straits Times showed that dozens of people under 18 years old have posted their details on the platform.
Based on the age provided by users, the algorithm will lead them to profiles of others of a similar age. But age verification is not required.
James had pretended to be a 15-year-old.
If two users "like" each other's profiles, they can start chatting on Telegram. That is how Yong started with his victim a sexually explicit chat.
Mr Josephus Tan from Invictus Law said that such chats may be considered as sexual grooming, which refers to the act of building up a trusting and emotional relationship with a minor, usually with the purpose of sexual exploitation.
This could start with simple messages such as "What are you wearing to sleep?", said the criminal lawyer.
Mr Tan said he has seen a 10 per cent to 20 per cent increase in such cases in recent years.
Mr Jason Woolley, a counsellor at Counselling Perspective, said indicators of grooming could be requests for secrecy, or asking to be a "special friend", or pressure to meet offline.
Said Ms Noelle Teoh, an associate lawyer with Gloria James-Civetta & Co: "In recent months, I have heard this platform repeatedly mentioned in conversations with clients and potential clients, and we are seeing cases where individuals reported meeting sexual partners through Leomatch, including other adults and, worryingly, minors under the age of 14."
She said the law specifically criminalises grooming or communicating with a child under 16 with the intention of committing a sexual offence.
"Adults could also be charged with sexual exploitation, sexual assault, or possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material if any such content is involved.
"Even if the adult has never met the minor in person, online interactions alone can lead to criminal charges," said Ms Teoh.
But why do children access platforms like Leomatch?
Mr Woolley said that as children and teens are developing their identities, they become curious about relationships.
He added: "These (children and teens) might not be engaged socially, in school, or at home, so they are drawn to these platforms because they offer connection and attention. The challenge is that their ability to detect manipulation is still developing. A predator understands this, and can exploit that vulnerability."
Although using these platforms to seek connection might provide some instant gratification, it can come at a cost.
Counsellor Vanessa Lazcano said: "Teenagers are also very vulnerable and sensitive to rejection. So they can still experience emotional harm when they connect with someone and they end up getting ghosted.
"If a teen is looking for a connection, and if their new friend disappears, they might end up feeling empty and grieve the lost connection."
In recent years, the authorities, including the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), have implemented measures to prevent teens from accessing apps that are not age-appropriate.
Dating apps have also imposed age restrictions of their own. For example, users below 18 are restricted from downloading Tinder.
In July 2025, dating app Coffee Meets Bagel rolled out identity verification for users in Singapore, making it mandatory for users to authenticate themselves with Singpass, which is integrated with the app.
The one-time verification process involves the app retrieving users' NRIC number or Foreign Identification Number, date of birth, marital status and gender from government records.
Ms Teoh said that Leomatch is not an illegal platform in and of itself.
"There is currently no specific law preventing a platform from operating in Singapore without age verification, even though IMDA has required major app stores to implement strict age assurance measures for downloading apps as part of Singapore's broader effort to protect users from online harm."
Following Australia's passing of a law to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, the Singapore Government said in 2025 that it was in talks with the Australian government to decide its next move on how to protect children and teenagers.
But Ms Teoh said that the tricky part with Leomatch is that it runs on Telegram, a messaging app.
"It's very difficult to control how people use messaging apps, especially since Telegram can be used for all kinds of activities, including illegal ones.
"Social media platforms have to follow rules like the Code of Practice for Online Safety to reduce harmful content, but it's less clear how, or if, these rules apply to messaging apps like Telegram," she added.
Ms Lazcano, who has a teenage daughter, said that parents can step up by educating their children about the risks of meeting new friends through such platforms.
"Young people these days know more about technology than we do, and they probably know about these apps before we do.
"So what we can do is be upfront and descriptive of the risks. We should talk about these apps, and what the teens can potentially face (by using these platforms).
"And I think it's very important to talk about possible exits, especially when a teen or a child encounters someone who asks for intimate images, for instance," she said, adding that parents could create a safe environment where children can be upfront about sharing things with them, especially when they are in trouble.
Yong, the diagnosed paedophile, was stopped only when the boy's father learnt of the attempt to prey on his son.
The boy's father devised a plan to catch the predator by having his son agree to meet up with him at their home. They also called the police, who arrested Yong.
Not all predators are older adults.
In February, a 19-year-old was convicted of two charges of penetrating an underage person.
He was under 18 when he committed some of the offences, and cannot be named.
The young man had met one of his victims via Leomatch in February 2023, and asked the then 14-year-old to be his girlfriend after chatting for about a week.
They met in person shortly after, where he asked her to perform a sex act on him, and recorded it on her phone. They had penetrative sex a few days later at a staircase in the girl's school.
Sex with a person under 14 years old can land an offender a jail sentence of up to 20 years, as well as possible caning and a fine.
Because of his age, the court ordered a reformative training suitability report for the youth as well as a probation report.
Mr Woolley said young people may not realise that grooming begins with friendliness, compliments and emotional support.
He added: "It doesn't immediately begin with sexual requests. It's important to make sure that they know the signs, and speak to them about online safety regularly."
his article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
