On October 25, Ho Chi Minh City Police confirmed that Le Anh Diep (30), a resident of Phu Ly Ward in Ninh Binh province and owner of the aforementioned TikTok account, was formally charged and detained.

He is accused of “abusing democratic freedoms to infringe upon the interests of the State and the legitimate rights and interests of organizations and individuals.”

Initial investigations by the Office of the Criminal Investigation Agency and the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention revealed multiple videos posted by the account that provoked public outrage.

The content was deemed highly divisive and offensive, threatening national solidarity and violating the 2018 Law on Cybersecurity.

The police determined that Diep created and managed the account with the aim of gaining views and likes to boost his popularity online.

According to the forensic review, his content violated several legal provisions, including:

“Sabotaging national unity” (Point c, Clause 1, Article 8)
“Seriously insulting the honor, reputation, and dignity of others” (Point a, Clause 3, Article 16)

Following this assessment, authorities moved to prosecute and detain Diep in accordance with the law.

TikToker admits to wrongdoing, pleads for leniency

In a follow-up development later the same day, police released a video of Diep’s testimony.

In the clip, Diep admitted that his offensive statements were made while he was not in control of his behavior, with some recorded after consuming alcohol.

He confessed to deliberately uploading videos mocking disaster relief efforts in the north and insulting the southern population to gain attention on social media.

Diep stated that TikTok did not immediately flag the videos for violating its guidelines. Believing he had done nothing wrong, he left them online. However, after realizing the severity of his actions over a day later, he removed the videos.

At the police station, Diep was cooperative and admitted his guilt. He expressed remorse and hoped for legal leniency.

“I want to sincerely apologize to everyone, especially to the people of southern Vietnam,” he said during questioning.

“I also urge all young people not to chase views and likes at the expense of society or the law.”

Dam De