SINGAPORE, March 22 — Lev Panfilov, a former actor and scriptwriter with YouTube comedy channel Wah! Banana, has been found guilty by the Singapore High Court of two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault by penetration, and one count of outrage of modesty of a woman he met on dating app Tinder.

Panfilov, a 28-year-old Singapore permanent resident from Russia will be sentenced at a later date, The Straits Times reported yesterday.

The assault was said to have occurred on January 12, 2021, when Panfilov took the victim, a 30-year-old aspiring comedy writer, to his flat after meeting on Tinder after she asked him for scriptwriting advice.

She testified that after dinner at Robertson Quay, he invited her to continue working at his place.

While watching comedy videos in his bedroom, Panfilov suddenly kissed her.

The victim who was not named in the news report said she rejected him and tried to leave, but he sexually assaulted and raped her.

Still in pain, she saw a doctor on January 16 the same year, who advised her to report the assault.

That day, she visited a police station but left without filing a report.

On January 18, 2021 she confided in her mother, who took her to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, where a police report was lodged.

Panfilov admitted to sex but claimed it was consensual, alleging she flirted with him and that he later booked her a ride home.

His lawyers questioned why she gave her address to her alleged rapist and delayed reporting the incident.

The victim explained that she just wanted to get home and feared she wouldn’t be believed, as the assault happened behind closed doors.

She claimed to have been also discouraged by reports of low conviction rates for sexual assault.

During the trial, she was cross-examined for 13 days, which The Straits Times reported as "unprecedented”.

On March 21, judge Pang Khang Chau found her to be a compelling witness, noting her detailed and consistent testimony.

In contrast, he found Panfilov unreliable, citing contradictions in his police statements, recorded interviews, and court testimony, which suggested he was trying to distance himself from the events.