Sebastian Lye Chee Weng, 32, a Singaporean citizen, was sentenced on June 5, 2023, to five years and 11 months in jail and given three strokes of the cane for sexually exploiting an underage American girl and possessing over 12,000 child sexual abuse files [1, 2, 3]. He must also serve an additional 66 days in jail for breaching a remission order [1, 2, 3].
Lye first befriended the girl, then 12 years old and living in Georgia, in October 2018. He lied about his age, claiming to be 17, to gain her trust through social media and communicated with her over Skype and Snapchat [1, 2, 3]. Between November 23, 2018, and December 1, 2019, Lye sexually exploited the girl at least 61 times by requesting sexual acts over video calls. He recorded and took screenshots during these calls [1, 2, 3].
Lye was arrested in a police raid on November 14, 2018, linked to another child sexual exploitation case. He was convicted in September 2020 and sentenced to over eight months in jail for that earlier offence [1, 2, 3]. After release in March 2021, he was placed on a remission order restricting his activities until June 13, 2021 [1, 2, 3].
During his remission period in April 2021, Lye resumed contact with the American girl, then 14 years old, and coerced her into a sexual act over a video call, taking two screenshots of it [1, 2, 3]. On May 13, 2021, he threatened her via text message that he would share intimate recordings with everyone she knew to prevent her from ending their relationship. Deputy Public Prosecutor Benedict Teong said, "The accused had threatened her... because he did not want their relationship to come to an end" [1].
In April 2022, police raided Lye's home again and discovered 12,755 files of sexually explicit material involving children [1, 2, 3]. Lye pleaded guilty to multiple offences including sexually exploiting a child [1, 2, 3].
He will serve the combined jail term alongside corporal punishment ordered on June 5, 2023, and the additional 66 days for violating his remission conditions [1, 2, 3].
