Dee Kosh

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Dee Kosh
Personal information
Born
Darryl Ian Koshy

(1988-11-02) 2 November 1988 (age 35)
Philippines
NationalitySingaporean
OccupationFormer YouTuber
YouTube information
Channels
Years active2006–present
Genres
Subscribers359 thousand
Total views88 million
Associated acts
100,000 subscribers
Last updated: 30 May 2022

Darryl Ian Koshy (born 2 November 1988), better known by his stage name Dee Kosh, is a Filipino-born Singaporean former YouTuber, radio and internet personality, actor and singer, who has been convicted on sex offender charges.[1]

Early life[edit]

Darryl Ian Koshy[2] was born and raised in the Philippines[3][4] to Singaporean parents, a Chinese mother and an Indian father.

Career[edit]

In early 2012, Koshy auditioned to host "The Rude Awakening" on 987FM with Rosalyn Lee; the station hired him as the host of "Say It With Music" instead. In April 2013, he started hosting the weeknight "The Double D Show" on 987FM with Divian Nair.[3] In 2014, Koshy left Mediacorp to join Power 98, a radio station run by SAFRA Radio,[5] hosting the evening time belt.[6]

In late 2014, Koshy and Nair produced a web series on "the most random of topics", titled The Drive.[7] Koshy contributed vocals to the COVID-19 pandemic-themed multilingual song "Stay Home", which was released in April 2020.[8]

Sex crimes conviction[edit]

On 15 August 2020, an Instagram user accused Koshy of "[sexually harassing] me under the guise of recruiting me for his channel".[9] At least five others subsequently came forward with similar accusations. The Straits Times reported on 19 August that six police reports had been filed against Koshy.[2] Koshy initially denied all the allegations but later stated that "there is some truth to the things which are being said now" and apologised for his "questionable" tone,[10] while maintaining that he did not solicit sexual favours from teenage males.[11]

In the days following the allegations, several companies reevaluated their relationships with Koshy. Production company Night Owl Cinematics suspended all projects involving him,[12] while Huawei and Lenovo ended their sponsorship deals.[13] Koshy has been "on leave" from Power 98FM since 17 August 2020.[14] Koshy was charged with "sexual exploitation of a young person and making obscene films" on 19 August 2021.[15] He posted $20,000 bail and a trial date was set for 15 September 2021.[16][17]

His case was adjourned to March. He faced a sentence of up to two years for each charge of making payment offers for underage sex.[18] He pleaded guilty to the charges on 30 May 2022.[19]

On 3 August 2022, in their submissions, the prosecution sought a sentence of five to eight months' jail, citing that Koshy's crimes, which were mainly and deliberately targeting the underaged, were "highly premeditated" and he did not show true remorse despite the aggravating nature of his crimes. The defence, however, seek a lower jail term of two-and-a-half months on the basis that he had low basis of re-offending and showed some regret for his actions.[20] On 5 August 2022, he was convicted on the sexual offences involving minors and was sentenced to 32 weeks' jail.[21] Koshy was released from jail in March 2023.[22]

Filmography[edit]

Films[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2014 Candle Ian Also writer[23]
2016 Lulu the Movie Cameo appearance[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Begum, Yasmin (5 August 2022). "The rise and fall of Dee Kosh: From celebrity YouTuber to convicted sex offender". CNA. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b Raguraman, Anjali (19 August 2020). "Celebrities, Aware weigh in on sexual harassment claims against DJ Dee Kosh; police looking into claims". The Straits Times.
  3. ^ a b "The Double Ds: New funny guys on Singapore radio". Yahoo! News. 12 April 2013.
  4. ^ Dee Kosh. "My Pinoy Childhood". YouTube. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  5. ^ Hicks, Robin (22 May 2015). "Dee Kosh: Brands that just see YouTube influencers as numbers are playing with fire". Mumbrella Asia. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Radio Broadcaster of the Year". Marketing Magazine Singapore. November 2015. p. 54.
  7. ^ Robert, Catherine (11 October 2014). "Divian and Dee Kosh are back with hilarious web series The Drive". The New Paper.
  8. ^ Chan, Ilsa (27 April 2020). "14 Local Artistes Join Forces For Multilingual Song, Encouraging Singaporeans To #StayHome During COVID-19 Circuit Breaker". Today.
  9. ^ Das, Trishna (20 August 2020). "Celebrities, AWARE Extend Support to Victims Who Spoke Up Against YouTuber Dee Kosh". International Business Times.
  10. ^ "YouTube personality Dee Kosh apologises following allegations of sexual harassment". Channel News Asia. 18 August 2020.
  11. ^ Begum, Haneesa (19 August 2020). "Singaporean YouTube star Dee Kosh under investigation after being accused of sexually harassing boys". South China Morning Post.
  12. ^ Oh, Tessa (20 August 2020). "YouTube channel Night Owl Cinematics puts all work with Dee Kosh on hold after sexual misconduct allegations". Today.
  13. ^ Meah, Natasha (18 August 2020). "Major brands distance themselves from YouTuber and DJ Dee Kosh amid more police reports alleging sexual harassment". Today.
  14. ^ "Dee Kosh 'on leave' after accusations surface he asked minors for sex: Power 98 FM | Coconuts". Coconuts. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  15. ^ Lam, Lydia (19 August 2021). "Former DJ Dee Kosh charged with sexually exploiting young person and other sex-related offences". Channel News Asia.
  16. ^ Alkhatib, Shaffiq (19 August 2021). "YouTuber Dee Kosh charged with offering cash to boys below 18 for sexual services, among other offences". The Straits Times.
  17. ^ Tang, Louisa (19 August 2021). "YouTuber Dee Kosh charged with sexually exploiting teenage boy, possessing obscene videos". Today.
  18. ^ "YouTuber Dee Kosh, accused of offering cash to boys below 18 for sexual services, expected to plead guilty". The Straits Times. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Former radio DJ Dee Kosh pleads guilty to sexual offences involving two teenage boys". CNA. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  20. ^ "YouTuber Dee Kosh's sexual offences highly premeditated, says DPP; defence asks for lower sentence". The Straits Times. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  21. ^ Tham, Davina (5 August 2022). "Former DJ Dee Kosh jailed for sexual offences involving teenage boys". CNA. Archived from the original on 5 August 2022. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  22. ^ "'I have so much to say': Dee Kosh returns to social media after prison release". AsiaOne. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
  23. ^ "Singapore deejays make 18-minute film for $150". Yahoo! News. 14 February 2014.
  24. ^ Loong, Wai Ting (8 December 2016). "Groove Reel: Loud road to success". New Straits Times.
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