S'pore adults caught sexually exploiting minors on Telegram bot Leomatch can be jailed & caned

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) are aware of young people using the Telegram bot Leomatch, as well as the risks of it being misused by malicious actors to sexually groom or exploit them, they told Mothership in a joint statement.

"We take this matter seriously, and the government has several measures in place to deal with online sexual grooming or exploitation," they said.

If adults in Singapore are caught preying on minors by having sexual communication and in-person meetings with them, they may face sexual grooming charges and may be sentenced to jail and caning, The Straits Times reported.

Concerns raised

As of May 3, 2026, checks by Mothership showed that the bot can still be accessed on Telegram.

There have been previous cases of men using it to prey on teens, ST reported.

One 25-year-old man, who lied that he was a 15-year-old student at the Singapore Sports School to lure two young girls into having sex with him, was sentenced in February 2026 to 11 years' jail and 10 strokes of the cane.

An earlier report stated that a 31-year-old man diagnosed with paedophilic disorder was sentenced to 12 months' jail for attempting to lure a 14-year-old boy he met on the bot into having sex with him.

He had persisted in asking the boy to be "friends with benefits".

When the victim realised through their conversations that the man was asking him for sex, he informed his father about the situation.

His father then suggested that the victim call the man down to their house so that he could be caught red-handed.

What is Leomatch?

Leomatch is a Telegram-based dating and friendship bot.

It functions within the Telegram app.

Users can connect their personal Telegram handles to the bot for easy, direct communication after matching.

It operates in the same way as dating apps.

Users create profiles, "like" other profiles, and engage in conversation.

As individuals who match with one another on this bot do look for casual relationships, it has exposed minors to dangers of sexual predators.

Increase in cases

Lawyers and counsellors had previously told ST that they noticed an increase in the number of cases where people met sexual partners and minors under 14 via the bot.

Children could be drawn to such platforms if they are not engaged socially or in school, Jason Woolley, a counsellor from Counselling Perspective, previously told ST.

These platforms offer connection and attention, it was added.

Noting that young people may still be developing their ability to detect manipulation, he added that this is something a predator understands and can exploit.

Should there be suspicion of online service providers facilitating criminal offences, MHA and MDDI said the authorities can issue directions to them under the Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA).

Such directions block users in Singapore from interacting with offending accounts or content.

Report inappropriate content

In addition, victims of online harassment, online stalking, or image-based child abuse, may report such incidents to the Online Safety Commission (OSC).

Parents and guardians of victims under 18 may make reports on their behalf, and the commission, which will be established by end-June, has the power to issue directions to the communicator, administrator or platform to address the online harm.

This includes removing harmful content.

Users are also urged to report inappropriate content directly to Telegram using its built-in reporting functions.

The ministries said that by doing so, the platform may review the content promptly and take appropriate action where necessary.

"Members of the public should also report suspected criminal offences to the police," the ministries said.

Penalties

Offenders above the age of 18 convicted of sexual grooming can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both, ST reported.

For having sexual communication with a minor, an offender can be jailed for between two and three years and fined, depending on the age of the victim.