Former radio DJ Dee Kosh to plead guilty to sexual offences

SINGAPORE: Former radio disc jockey Dee Kosh intends to plead guilty to the sexual offences he has been charged with, a court heard on Tuesday (Jan 25).

Lawyers from Eugene Thuraisingam's firm informed the court of the intention of their client, 33-year-old Darryl Ian Koshy, to plead guilty. He was given a date to do so, on Mar 10.

Kosh was given seven charges in August last year for offences including communicating with a minor for the purpose of obtaining sexual services, attempted sexual exploitation of a young person, making an obscene film and possessing an obscene film.

He is accused of offering a 16-year-old boy up to S$2,000 in February 2017 and offering up to S$1,000 to a 17-year-old boy in July 2018 so he could perform sex acts on them.

Kosh is also accused of attempting to procure an indecent act by a 15-year-old boy between March 2018 and June 2018 by asking the boy to perform sex acts on him.

Kosh rose to fame as a YouTuber and later became a presenter on radio station Power 98. He was placed on no-pay leave pending the investigations and later suspended after he was charged.

In August 2020, he allegedly offered another 17-year-old boy S$1,000 for the teen to perform oral sex on him.

If convicted under the Children and Young Persons Act of attempted sexual exploitation of a young person, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

If found guilty of communications for the purpose of obtaining sexual services of a minor, he could be jailed for up to two years and fined.

The penalties for making an obscene film are a jail term of up to two years and a fine of between S$20,000 and S$40,000. The punishment for possessing obscene films are a maximum of six months' jail, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both.

Editor's note: This article was updated to correct information about the charges that Dee Kosh faces. He has been charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a young person.