Social media personality Lev Panfilov faces sentencing for sexual assault
A Singapore-based TikTok content creator and actor, Lev Panfilov, has been found guilty of raping and molesting a woman he met on Tinder.
Source: Lev Panfilov on Instagram
The court delivered its verdict on 21 March, convicting him of two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration, and one count of outrage of modesty.
28-year-old Panfilov, a Singapore permanent resident originally from Russia, now awaits sentencing.
He has also set his social media accounts on private.
Source: Screenshot of his Tiktok account
The Tinder date incident
Panfilov, known for his appearances on the popular YouTube channel Wah!Banana, met the victim through Tinder.
The woman, then 30 years old, had worked as an actress and was trying to branch out into comedy writing, the Straits Times (ST) reported.
Source: Reshetnikov_art on Canva. For illustrative purposes only.
On 12 Jan 2021, the pair was at a restaurant in Robertson Quay when she started working on a script with Panfilov.
She alleged that after waiters came to ask if they had any last orders, Panfilov suggested continuing working on the script at his place, which she agreed to.
At his flat, he brought her to his bedroom.
They sat on his bed as they talked about comedic characters and watched videos of various comedians, before he leaned in to kiss her.
Then, he sexually assaulted her despite her repeated refusals and attempts to resist.
During the trial, the victim testified that she made it clear she did not consent. She repeatedly told Panfilov “no”.
Court finds Panfilov’s claims against raping the Tinder date unbelievable
Panfilov insisted the encounter was consensual, claiming the victim had been a willing participant.
He said the woman made the first advances by tapping on his leg and stroking his thigh.
However, the High Court found his account unreliable and inconsistent with the evidence.
Judge Pang Khang Chau ruled that the victim was an “unusually convincing witness who gave a detailed and textured account that was internally and externally consistent”.
On the other hand, Justice Pang said that Panfilov’s testimony was riddled with contradictions.
The judge noted that the victim’s behaviour after the assault, including her emotional distress and reluctance to report the incident initially, aligned with how sexual assault survivors often react.
Former content creator facing lengthy jail term
Under Singapore law, each rape charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail, with the possibility of caning or a fine.
Outrage of modesty carries up to three years in jail, a fine, caning, or a combination of these penalties.
With his guilty verdict confirmed, Panfilov remains out on bail but faces the prospect of a lengthy prison sentence.
His sentencing date has yet to be announced.
Also read: 7 fathers in Japan rape own daughters, then share clips of assault in a private group chat
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Featured image adapted from Titan Academy Fanon Wiki and doidam10 on Canva. Images are for illustration purposes only.
