Amos Yee: From Street‑Cred Blogger to Legal Labyrinth
On November 4, the 20‑year‑old Singaporean social‑media provocateur, Amos Yee, found himself sitting in the Illinois courtroom – not in front of a jury of friends, but a grand jury that handed him a hefty ticket. The charges? Solicitation and possession of child porn. A pretty serious cocktail for one who’s already a controversial figure.
What’s Next in the Maze?
- He has a court date on November 18 for an arraignment – the stage where the judge will lay out the accusations and ask if he’s going to plead guilty or not.
- The courtroom whirred in downtown Chicago, with Judge Charles Beach presiding.
- His lawyer? A public defender assigned by the state – not a high‑profile attorney, but someone’s got legal eyes on the case.
Backstory: From Singapore Scandals to the U.S. Shelter
Yee’s past is a bit of a roller‑coaster:
- Two jail stints in Singapore (2015, 2016) tied to what the authorities called “wounding religious feelings.”
- Granted asylum in the United States in 2017, and has been called a Chicago resident ever since.
- Now the new drama involves a 14‑year‑old Texas girl, with whom he allegedly swapped a ton of messages and images.
The Hallway of Allegations
During a bail hearing on October 16, the court heard that Yee was actively courting a teenager:
- He asked the girl to send him nude pictures over several months.
- He, in turn, sent her at least one of his own.
He was then slapped with a $1 million bail – which translates to about S$1.36 million – and was temporarily grounded off the internet while awaiting trial.
WhatsApp Mishaps and the “Expose Paedophiles” Crowd
The Chicago Sun-Times added a chilling layer to the story:
- He sent messages where the girl repeatedly pointed out her age in their chats.
- Yee told the girl to scrub her age from her WhatsApp profile.
- After falling from grace, the girl reached out to a group that claims to expose paedophiles, and this led to Homeland Security being in the loop.
What Could Be at Stake?
If the jury finds him guilty:
- His asylum status could be revoked.
- He could be deported, the big newspaper says.
Flashback: The Singapore Chapter
Yee’s first big brush with the law happened when he was just 16:
- He posted a disturbing image and an expletive–heavy video to hurt Christian sentiments.
- He was held for a >50 day stint, including two weeks at the Institute of Mental Health to get a psychiatric check‑up.
- When on bail, he kept breaching conditions and refused to talk to a probation officer.
In May 2015, he was convicted for “harassment and insulting a religious group” – linked to comments about Singapore’s founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, immediately after his death. A letter from 77 people urged the state to handle the case with caution, but the judge still sentenced him to a month in jail.
2016: Another Hate‑Speech Raid
He faced charges again for posting derogatory comments on videos and blogs targeting Christianity and Islam. He pleaded guilty and got six weeks jail and a $2,000 fine.
Bottom Line
Amos Yee is at a crossroads. From pushing the envelope on social media to potentially facing the harshest of legal consequences, his saga is a reminder that online antics have real‑world fallout. It’s a story that’s both eerie and cautionary – a headline that invites us to wonder: how far can satire go before it breaks the law?
<img alt="" data-caption="Amos Yee arrives at Singapore's State Courts on Aug 17, 2016.
PHOTO: The Straits Times file” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”ef4b7668-6701-4826-a004-d32641525e0a” src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/20201105_amosyeearrivesatsingapore%27sstatecourts_st_0.jpg”/>
When a TikTok Star Takes a Leap
Back in December, Amos Yee jumped ship—literally—leaving Singapore for the U.S. just a day before he was scheduled to fumigate his way through a health check for the National Service. Talk about being “on the ball.”
Landing in the Windy City
Upon hitting Chicago’s doorstep, he fluttered into the US authorities’ inbox with a bold claim: political asylum. Within a few months, an Illinois Immigration Court judge crowned him as a bona fide exile in March 2017.
From Social Media to the Net‑Zero
- YouTube – (Banned 2018)
- WordPress – (Banned 2018)
- Facebook – (Banned 2018)
- Twitter – (Banned 2018)
Why all that blacklisting? Because Yee was posting content that stirred outrage—specifically, pro-paedophilia rhetoric that sent shockwaves across the digital landscape.
Our Source: The Straits Times
This piece first graced The Straits Times, and keeping the copy-water mark in mind is key if you’re thinking about sharing. Dive into the drama, but do it the right way.
