Teenage blogger Amos Yee faces 8 new charges

Teenage blogger Amos Yee, who was jailed last year for making offensive remarks against Christianity and posting obscene images online, was charged in the State Courts on Thursday (May 26).

The 17-year-old was arrested on May 11 and released on bail of S$5,000.

Five of the charges Yee faces are for allegedly wounding the religious feelings of Muslims, and one for allegedly wounding the religious feelings of Christians. These charges are under Section 298 of the Penal Code.

The other two charges are for allegedly failing to show up at Jurong Police Division on two occasions, despite a notice from Assistant Superintendent of Police Doreen Chong and a magistrate’s order to do so. These charges are under Section 174 of the Penal Code.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kelvin Kow asked the judge to fix an early trial date, noting that Yee is "obviously escalating his offensive behaviour in a bid to gain attention", adding that Yee "has upped both the tempo and offensiveness of his posts".

While the prosecution did not object to Yee being out on bail, DPP Kow also asked the judge to warn Yee of the potential consequences if he commits further offences while out on bail. 

To that, Yee responded: "If the prosecution insists, no problem." 

Yee was not represented by a lawyer, but said he would "do his best" to find one. 

If convicted of deliberately wounding the religious feelings of others, Yee faces up to three years’ jail and a fine. He also faces up to a month’s jail and a fine of up to S$1,500 for failing to report to the Jurong Police Division despite an order.

The pre-trial conference has been set for next Monday, May 30, 9.30am.