Singaporean ex-radio DJ Dee Kosh sentenced to 32 weeks in jail for sex-related offences

Singaporean ex-radio DJ and online personality Dee Kosh has been sentenced to 32 weeks of jail time for sex-related offences involving minors and young persons between February 2017 and August 2020.

The sentencing, which took place today (August 5), comes nearly two years after allegations of sexual harassment were first made against the former radio personality. Per a Straits Times report, Dee Kosh – real name Darryl Ian Koshy – will begin serving his sentence immediately.

Mothership reports that Koshy was sentenced to 14 weeks in jail for attempting to sexually exploit a young person under the Children and Young Persons Act, 18 weeks for communicating with a minor under 18 to obtain sexual services, and four weeks for making an obscene film under the Films Act, having filmed himself in 2016 or 2017 engaging in sexual acts with a men aged between 23 and 25.

Koshy pleaded guilty to these three charges in late May.

District Judge Jasvender Kaur ordered that Koshy serve the 14- and 18-week sentences consecutively, and the four-week sentence concurrently, bringing his total time to be served to 32 weeks.

Koshy’s lawyers had reportedly argued for a shorter sentence of two-and-a-half months, citing their client’s remorse and low prospect of re-offending.

According to CNA, District Judge Jasvender Kaur shot down the argument, adding that she took into consideration Koshy’s alleged knowledge that the boys he had propositioned for sexual favours were underage. Judge Kaur also noted that Koshy had attempted to conceal his actions through the use of secret chats on channels such as Telegram and Snapchat.

Judge Kaur also attributed her sentencing of Koshy to what she said was his lack of remorse, demonstrated through several comments made in a YouTube video regarding the case earlier this year. The video has since been removed.

Koshy was handed a total of seven charges in August 2021. The four other charges he did not plead guilty to are two additional counts of communicating with a minor under 18 to obtain their sexual services; one for possessing obscene films; and one additional count for making obscene films

All seven charges were taken into consideration for Koshy’s sentencing, Mothership reports.

In February 2017, Koshy was alleged to have offered a 16-year-old boy S$2,000 for sexual services. He was also accused of attempting to procure an indecent act from a 15-year-old boy between March and June 2018 for an undisclosed amount of money.

In July 2018, he allegedly offered $1,000 to a 17-year-old boy for a similar sexual act. In August 2020, Koshy is alleged to have offered another 17-year-old boy the same amount of money for a similar act.

In Singapore, the legal age to have sex is 16, but those aged 17 and 18 are also legally protected from exploitative relationships.

If convicted under the Children And Young Persons Act for sexual exploitation of a young person alone, Koshy could have been jailed up to five years or fined up to S$10,000 – or both. If found guilty of communications for the purpose of obtaining sexual services of a minor, Koshy could have been jailed up to two years and fined.

The penalties for making an obscene film are a jail term of up to two years and a fine of between S$20,000 and S$40,000. The punishment for possessing obscene films are a maximum of six months’ jail, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both.

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