After almost three years in jail, Amos Yee was released on parole on Oct. 7, 2023.
Groomed and exchanged nudes with 14-year-old Texan girl
The 24-year-old Singaporean, who had been granted asylum in the United States (U.S.), was sentenced to jail for grooming and knowingly exchanging nudes with a 14-year-old girl.
At the material time, Yee was 20 years old when he met the girl from Texas online and began an "online courtship" with her while he was living in Norwood Park East in Chicago.
They exchanged thousands of messages between February and July 2019, including nude photos he requested and received from the girl and nude photos of himself that he sent to her, despite being aware of the girl's age.
The girl eventually reached out to a group "interested in exposing paedophiles" when her relationship with Yee soured.
Released on parole
Yee had been remanded since his arrest in Oct. 8, 2020, and was charged two days later on Oct. 17, 2020.
He entered a plea deal and pleaded guilty to one charge each of grooming and possessing child pornography on Dec. 3, 2021.
The 16 other charges against him were dismissed as part of the plea deal.
He was sentenced to six years' jail, which was backdated to his arrest in October 2020.
According to inmate records seen by Mothership in July 2023, Yee has been released three years ahead of the Oct. 8, 2026 projected discharge date.
Image from Illinois Department of Corrections website.
CNA reported that he was released and granted parole or placed on mandatory supervised released status, after a parole hearing.
"Therefore, this offender is no longer in the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections as of Oct. 7, 2023," read a from the victim notification network.
Yee is required to be listed on the sex offender registry.
Could be deported
In December 2016, Yee left Singapore for Chicago in the U.S. a day before he was to report for a medical examination ahead of enlistment into National Service
There, he told U.S. authorities that he was seeking political asylum.
An Immigration Court judge in Illinois granted him asylum in March 2017 but this was contested by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which argued that the Singapore Government had legitimately prosecuted Yee and the judge had made errors of fact and law.
However, an immigration appeals board cited Yee's fear of persecution and upheld his application.
He was eventually granted asylum in September 2017.
Yee was told during his sentencing that his pleading guilty might result in him being deported from the U.S., denied admission to the U.S., or denied naturalisation as a U.S. citizen in the future.
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Top image from Illinois Department of Corrections website.