Zhi Hao, Author at Goody Feed

Former Mediacorp actor Ian Fang arrived at the State Courts at 11:40am on 16 Jun 2025 to begin his 40-month prison sentence. The 35-year-old Singapore Permanent Resident was accompanied by his mother Fang Peinian, 63. Fang, whose real name is Fang Weijie, spoke to reporters before surrendering himself. "I definitely will try my best to be a better person, a better version of myself. It is an expensive and very huge mistake that I need to pay off," he said. Image: 8World He bowed before the media alongside his mother. "It's time to take responsibility for what I did," Fang added. Image: Lianhe Zaobao At the courtroom, Fang hugged his mother and two other companions before walking away with the guards. His mother patted his back as they exchanged final words. Sexual Offences Against 15-Year-Old Student Lead to Conviction Fang pleaded guilty on 19 May 2025 to three charges of sexual penetration of a girl under 16. District Judge Eddy Tham lifted the gag order on that day, allowing Fang's name to be revealed to the public after an application by the victim and her family. Three similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing, along with one count of obstructing justice and one count of stalking. Five other charges, including sexual penetration of an underage girl and harassment, were also considered during sentencing. The court heard that Fang first met the 15-year-old victim at an entertainment event on 4 May 2024. They exchanged contact details and conversed daily, growing closer over time. Between June and July 2024, Fang engaged in sexual activities with the teenager on nine occasions. Five of these encounters were unprotected. The locations included his residence, a luxury hotel, and a private hospital in Singapore. The teenager was later diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV). At the time of the offences, Fang worked as an acting teacher at First Model School, a modelling school for children aged between four and 14. He had left Mediacorp in May 2023 after 12 years with the national broadcaster. Obstruction of Justice and Family's Legal Action Plans The victim's mother made a police report in August 2024 after learning about the sexual relations between her daughter and Fang. During the police investigation, officers warned Fang not to contact the victim. He ignored this instruction and continued communicating with her. Fang instructed the girl to cry in front of her mother and tried convincing her not to press charges against him. In September 2024, Fang stalked the teenager by calling her 18 times and sending WhatsApp messages. He also logged into her virtual room on an app on 26 Sep and 27 Sep 2024. The prosecution revealed that Fang told the girl he would commit suicide if he had to go to jail. The victim developed suicidal thoughts after Fang repeatedly contacted her asking her to persuade her mother to withdraw the charges. The girl was admitted to the Institute of Mental Health and diagnosed with adjustment disorder. The prosecution stated she will "continue to live with the burden of Fang's actions, even with the conclusion of this case." District Judge Tham sentenced Fang to 40 months' imprisonment, stating that he had intent to "gaslight" the victim to "save his own neck." The victim's parents expressed dissatisfaction with the sentence in interviews with 8World and CNA published on 26 May, 27 May, and 3 Jun 2025. They were particularly upset that the sentence did not include caning. The girl's mother accused Fang of using his celebrity status to "manipulate" her daughter. She said Fang had ruined her daughter's life and infected her with a sexually transmitted disease. "I'm going to sue him until he goes bankrupt," she told 8World. The teenager's father revealed that before discovering Fang's actions, he and his wife had regarded Fang as a friend and treated him to dinners. Fang and their daughter had behaved normally around them. "We didn't know at all. He played his acting role so well. Speechless, speechless. Really give him an Oscar for that," the father said. Both parents confirmed their intention to sue Fang. Their lawyer has been instructed to commence legal proceedings against the former actor.