ICA reviewing PR statuses of Ian Fang and Lev Panfilov following sexual offence convictions

SINGAPORE: The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) is currently reviewing the permanent residence (PR) statuses of Ian Fang and Lev Panfilov, following their recent convictions for serious sexual offences. The announcement was made on 21 May in response to media queries. In a statement, ICA confirmed that it conducts reviews of the PR status of any Singapore permanent resident who has been convicted of an offence. “As the review of the PR statuses for Ian Fang and Lev Panfilov is ongoing, we are unable to share more details at this juncture,” a spokesperson said, as reported by state media CNA. Ian Fang, a 35-year-old former actor born in Shanghai and educated in Singapore, was sentenced on Monday to 40 months’ imprisonment. He had earlier pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual penetration of a minor under 16. Three additional similar charges, along with one count each of obstruction of justice and stalking, were taken into consideration during sentencing. Fang, whose registered name is Fang Wei Jie (方威捷), was an acting teacher at a child modelling school catering to students aged four to 14. He met the 15-year-old victim in 2024 at an entertainment event. A gag order remains in place to protect the identity of the victim. The maximum sentence for Fang’s offences could have been up to 10 years’ jail or a fine, or both. He did not face caning as part of his sentence.

Lev Panfilov sentenced to 11.5 years’ jail and caning for raping woman he met on Tinder

In a separate case, former Wah!Banana actor and Russian national Lev Panfilov was sentenced to 11 years and six months’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane. He was convicted of raping, sexually assaulting, and molesting a woman he met on the dating app Tinder. Panfilov, 29, has since indicated that he will appeal both his conviction and sentence. The victim’s identity is protected under a gag order. The high-profile nature of the case sparked public debate after a former Law Society vice-president, Chia Boon Teck, posted comments perceived as victim-shaming. Chia questioned the victim’s actions in a LinkedIn post, prompting widespread criticism. Members of the public and legal fraternity denounced his remarks, and the Law Society called for his resignation. Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam condemned the remarks, stating that victim-blaming and misogyny had no place in society. Under Singapore law, rape and sexual assault by penetration carry penalties of up to 20 years in jail, with caning or a fine. Molestation is punishable with up to two years in jail, a fine, caning, or a combination of these.