Amos Yee released from Changi Prison on bail

SINGAPORE – Child sex offender Amos Yee was released from Changi Prison on March 26, after his mother posted the $10,000 bail imposed on him for charges under the Enlistment Act.

Speaking to the media while waiting for his mother’s arrival, the 27-year-old alleged national-service dodger, who fled to the US in December 2016, said he expects a “very exciting family reunion”.

Yee was granted asylum in the US in 2018, but was indicted by a grand jury in an Illinois court for solicitation and possession of child pornography in 2020, and handed a six-year jail sentence.

Yee said he communicated regularly with his mother during his time in the US, but added that he has not spoken to his father in about a decade.

He said his incarceration in the US was like “a vacation resort”, adding that he had TV access and could spend time outdoors.

“Here, there isn’t a TV; it’s essentially hell on earth,” Yee said, referring to Changi Prison.

“You only have a few cellmates to talk to (and) a few books. That’s it. That’s all you do all day.”

As part of the bail conditions, Yee is barred from publishing any materials, disclosing information or making public comments, including on social media, about his ongoing case. He also has to surrender any travel document in his possession and give himself up to the authorities for investigations or to attend court at the appointed time and place.

Yee must also not commit any offence while on bail and not interfere with any witness or otherwise obstruct the course of justice.

Yee had fled to the US after repeated run-ins with the law here over comments he made that were derogatory towards Christians and Muslims.

After being sentenced on Dec 2, 2021, for solicitation and possession of child pornography, he was released halfway into his six-year jail term on Oct 7, 2023, and rearrested the following month, likely because he violated the terms of his parole, which included accessing the internet without approval from the state corrections department.

Following his release, he was then detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and deported from the US on March 19.

Yee was arrested by Central Manpower Base enlistment inspectors when he arrived at Changi Airport on March 20. The Singapore authorities said he was issued a document of identity to facilitate his return, in lieu of a valid Singapore passport, which he no longer holds.

Yee is facing three charges here.

According to court documents, he failed to report for the national service pre-enlistment medical screening and remained outside Singapore without a valid exit permit after leaving for the US in December 2016 to seek asylum.

He is also said to have left the country without a valid exit permit from Dec 13, 2015, to April 19, 2016, and from Dec 15, 2016, to March 19, 2026. During this period, he allegedly failed to report for national service medical screening from April 26, 2016, to March 19, 2026.

His pre-trial conference was slated for April 23. If convicted, he can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.