Former Mediacorp actor Ian Fang was sentenced to 40 months' jail on 19 May 2025 after pleading guilty to sexual offences involving a 15-year-old girl he met at an entertainment event in 2024. His permanent resident status was later revoked in February 2026, and he will be deported and barred from re-entering Singapore after serving his sentence.
Fang Weijie, 35, once celebrated as one of Mediacorp's 8 Dukes of Caldecott Hill, pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual penetration of a minor. Three similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing, along with one count of obstructing justice and one count of stalking. The court heard that Fang first met the victim at an entertainment event in May 2024 when she was 15, and they exchanged contact details before communicating frequently.
Between June and July 2024, Fang engaged in sexual activities with the girl on nine occasions at his residence, a luxury hotel and a private hospital in Singapore. Court documents revealed he had unprotected sex with her five times, only using protection when she insisted. At the time of the offences, Fang was working as an acting teacher at a modelling school for children aged four to 14, a detail that deepened public outrage over the case.
The prosecution highlighted the predatory nature of Fang's actions, noting he knew the girl's age. He also attempted to manipulate the victim into not pressing charges, harassing her with repeated calls and messages and trying to get her to defend him to her mother. The defence sought leniency citing his early guilty plea and remorse, but District Judge Eddy Tham imposed the 40-month term, with rehabilitation not the primary consideration given the gravity and breach of trust.
Fang's identity had initially been protected by a gag order to shield the victim, but it was lifted in court following an application by the prosecution that the victim and her family supported. The victim's identity remains protected by court order. Fang, who was born in Shanghai and moved to Singapore in 2002 at age 13, had been a full-time Mediacorp actor for 12 years from 2011 to 2023, winning Best Newcomer at the Star Awards in 2013 for his debut role in Don't Stop Believin'. He left the broadcaster in 2023.
Fang began serving his sentence on 16 June 2025. In February 2026, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority revoked his permanent resident status, announcing he would be deported upon completing his prison term and barred from re-entering Singapore. The case marked one of the most shocking falls from grace in Singapore's entertainment industry, ending the career of an actor once known for his boyish charm and leading-man appeal.
The sentence also reignited public debate over sentencing norms: many netizens questioned why Fang received no caning, prompting legal commentators to explain that caning for sexual offences is typically reserved for cases involving victims under 14, the use of force or deception, or serious harm such as disease or pregnancy. Media outlets have since listed Fang alongside Dee Kosh and music producer Ken Lim among local celebrities convicted of sex crimes, a grim roll call that has kept the case in public discussion long after the gavel fell.