The art world of Shillong was left in shock today after one of its own, singer Lamphang Syiemlieh, admitted on social media that he had stolen a woman’s photos and used them on profiles created by him (an act known as catfishing) in order to lure men into online sexual relationships.
Syiemlieh, known for its exquisite voice, dropped this bombshell today afternoon, seemingly after being confronted by relatives. According to reports, police had received a complaint from these relatives about his behaviour but have reportedly decided not to pursue the matter now that Syiemlieh has made a confession online.
In the public statement, he said that he confesses to have “been impersonating a woman by stealing her pictures from her social accounts and posting them as my own” through two social media accounts “in an attempt to solicit sexual advances”.
He went on to speak of being rejected by the men he was pursuing as himself, which led him to taking on the persona of a woman online. Syiemlieh explained that using these fake profiles and the stolen photos he has contacted “countless men, sending them sexually-explicit messages, for the last year and a half. My intentions were to deceitfully gain their attention, having failed to do so through my own person.”
“I had consciously and deliberately stolen and abused this woman’s identity for my own sexual interests and gratification. Through this account, I have maintained several romantic and sexual online relationships with various men. I have been targeting men across social media and I have been known to do this with other women in the past as well,” he added, concluding by saying, “I take full responsibility for my actions”.
Reactions online have not been sympathetic to Syiemlieh, with many people likening him to Sean ‘P Diddy’ Combs, the American musician embroiled in sexual assault lawsuits.
