Blogger Amos Yee pleads not guilty to both charges

 Blogger Amos Yee has pleaded not guilty to both charges on Thursday morning (May 7), at the start of his two-day trial. The teenager faced a charge of making offensive or wounding remarks against Christianity and another of circulating obscene imagery.

Yee's lawyers had requested for an adjournment as they needed time to look through the evidence. The judge called for an end to the day's hearing, and will hear further submissions on Friday, 2.30pm.

The teen's parents were seen at the court for the trial. Blogger Roy Ngerng, blogger Andrew Loh and lawyer Teo Soh Lung were also seen in the audience.

Yee has been in remand after his previous pre-trial conference on Apr 30, after his bailor, family and youth counsellor Vincent Law, decided to discharge himself. Mr Law had told reporters earlier that he had done so as Yee “refuses to abide” by the bail conditions. Mr Law was also seen in the audience on Thursday morning.

If convicted of making remarks wounding the feelings of Christians, Yee, who is being tried as an adult, faces up to three years’ jail, a fine, or both. For circulating obscene imagery, he could be jailed up to three months, fined, or punished with both.

A third charge, for his statements on Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, was "stood down". An AGC spokesperson said the charge has not been dropped, but that the prosecution will deal with the first two charges for the upcoming trial with the third charge to be dealt with later.

The 16-year-old saw his challenge on the conditions of his bail dismissed by Justice Tay Yong Kwang in a bail hearing on Wednesday. Yee also refused to go for psychiatric counselling in exchange for a lower bail amount, which remained at S$30,000.