Former local actor Ian Fang will be deported from Singapore and permanently barred from re-entry following the revocation of his Permanent Residency (PR) status.
The decision, announced by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Thursday, February 5, comes in the wake of Fang's conviction and sentencing for multiple sexual offences involving a minor.
The 35-year-old Shanghai-born actor, who obtained his PR status in 2015, saw his residency revoked after a review by the ICA.
Under Singapore law, the PR status of any non-citizen convicted of a serious offence is subject to stringent review. The ICA confirmed that once Fang completes his current prison term, he will be removed from the country and blacklisted from returning.
Fang is currently serving a 40-month jail sentence which commenced on June 16, 2025.
He had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual penetration of a 15-year-old girl. During the sentencing, the court also took into account five additional charges, including further sexual penetration of an underage girl, harassment, and obstructing the course of justice.
The court heard that Fang first met the victim, a student, at an entertainment event in May 2024. At the time, Fang was working as an acting teacher at a modelling school for children. Over the course of daily conversations, the teenager began to view the actor as her boyfriend.
Between June and July 2024, the pair engaged in sexual activity on nine occasions, five of which involved unprotected sex. The first instance occurred while the victim was quarantined in a hotel due to a Covid-19 infection. Despite the victim requesting the use of a condom, Fang refused.
The illicit relationship continued until August 2024, when the girl's mother discovered the situation and filed a police report.
The legal proceedings revealed a pattern of manipulation following the initial police report. Despite being warned by authorities to stay away from the victim, Fang contacted her via social media. He pressured her to convince her mother to withdraw the charges, even threatening to end his own life if he were sent to prison.
The psychological toll on the victim was severe. The court was informed that she developed depression and suicidal ideation, eventually requiring admission to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH), where she was diagnosed with adjustment disorder.
"While the main focus of the gag order was to protect the victim... I would respect the wishes of the victim and her family to reveal the offender's identity," stated District Judge Eddy Tham, as quoted by The Straits Times, explaining the decision to lift the initial gag order on Fang's name.
Ian Fang rose to prominence in 2011 after his debut in the police drama C.L.I.F. Over the next decade, he became a household name through roles in popular series such as Don't Stop Believin' and The Dream Job. His career had already begun to wane prior to these charges, with his final credited screen appearance being a cameo in the series Kill Sera Sera.
With the ICA's latest mandate, Fang's decade-long career and residency in Singapore have come to a definitive end.
