Police investigating reports of sexual harassment made against YouTuber Dee Kosh; apology statement posted online

SINGAPORE – The Singapore Police Force is investigating reports of alleged sexual harassment of teenage boys made against YouTuber and radio deejay Dee Kosh. The reports filed after a slew of allegations surfaced on social media over the weekend, with more than five teenage boys stepping up with screenshots of Dee Kosh asking them for nudes and sexual favours.

First reported on Today, at least four police reports were filed against Dee Kosh as of Monday. Three of the reports detailed incidents that happened two years ago when the teenage boys were 17 and 15 years old.

Dee Kosh, whose real name is Darryl Ian Koshy, took to Instagram on Saturday (15 August), hours after the first accusation surfaced from Instagram account @_epaul, to deny all allegations, adding that he would be “taking the necessary steps to clear this up”.

@_epaul updated his Instagram with a post of a lawyer’s letter from DC Law on Monday, which had demanded that he refrain from publishing any further “defamatory” content about the YouTuber. One of the lawyers named in the letter reached by Coconuts Singapore later however shared that he was “unable to comment because we no longer act for Dee Kosh”.

Radio station Power 98 where Dee Kosh works as a part-time deejay released a statement on Monday stating that the 32-year-old is currently on leave pending the investigation. The station said that they do not “tolerate any form of harassment”.

On Monday night (17 August), Dee Kosh posted a seven-photo apology on his Instagram, a stark difference in tone to his “deny all allegations” stance three days ago.

In the apology, he shared that some of the allegations “baffled me because they were baseless and untrue.” But he had also said “sorry to the people I have hurt in the process.”

In his apology, Dee Kosh stated that “I always ask for the age of any person I proposition before we get to talking about any details just to be sure that it’s between two consenting adults.” In screenshots posted on social media over the weekend, it is clear that the YouTuber asked for the boys’ ages, but continued to engage in what he called “cheeky and inappropriate” conversation.

The YouTuber, who runs a talent management business, also clarified that he has “never used my talent management business as a platform for anything else apart from working with all our clients for content creation and entertainment”. He further clarifies that “my propositions for sex have always been clear and definitive. Just like my proposals to acquire talents for my talent roster.”

Echoed by one of Dee Kosh’s talents, @xindeyap: “All I can say is that I have been working with Dee for more than 4 years & never once has he made any sexual advances against us nor did he try to do anything remotely uncomfortable during shoots.”

Since the apology was published, some of Dee Kosh’s victims stood up with rebuttals on their Instagram Stories.

With regards to Dee Kosh stating that he always asked the boys’ ages, @sxmuel.l commented: “Yes, yes you asked for our ages. But no matter what we said our ages were, it didn't seem to matter? (sic)”.

DJ Jade Rasif took to Instagram on Monday night to address Dee Kosh’s apology. She had previously shared that should anyone be afraid to go to the police: “You can talk to me first. Don’t be embarrassed if you accepted cash from that person, and I won’t judge you.” She updated that police reports have been made.

Rasif shared various screenshots of Dee Kosh’s apology, requesting for clarifications: “If you did or did not proposition a person under 18 for sex because this was not stated.”

“If there is truth to some allegations, may I ask why the boy who spoke out against you served with a defamation suit denying all allegations?”

One of the screenshots shared was of a conversation with Dee Kosh on Telegram where he said: “As in the incentive, if tonight, can be 1k”. Rasif mentioned Dee Kosh in her Instagram Story: “If you did or did not send these and were you aware of the boy’s claims that he was 17?”

In his apology, Dee Kosh had also claimed that the “allegations of me looking for paid sex on dating apps are completely false. The person in the screenshots is a catfish.”

The statement was later debunked by Rasif when she shared a photo of Dee Kosh sending a disappearing photo (which was videoed by one of the teenage boys), that showed Dee Kosh with the Power 98 studio in the background. “If it was a catfish, would you care to clarify if a police report made?”

One of those who were propositioned by Dee Kosh was @joshea.kzh, who used a screenshot of Rasif’s requests for clarifications in his Instagram Story, adding that “there were more (serious) allegations stated in your apology”.

While in Singapore, the age of consent is 16, under Penal Code 376B regarding commercial sex with minor under 18, it is illegal to pay for sex or communicating to obtain sexual gratification with persons under the age of 18.