Taiwan actor's son Max Lee charged with indecent behaviour while hiding in Ikea store

Max Lee whiled away the hours by walking on display items such as tables and sleeping on the beds, among other activities. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM YOUTUBE

He remained in the Taipei branch of furniture giant Ikea after it closed for the day.

But Max Lee, 25, son of Taiwan actor Lee Hsing-wen, was not participating in a sleepover that many Singaporeans are familiar with, with Ikea stores here holding such events over the years.

Instead, Max Lee whiled away the hours on Monday (Oct 28) night by walking on display items such as tables and sleeping on the beds, among other activities.

He had first hidden himself in a storeroom to wait for the outlet to be shut for the day.

He started to explore the premises after 3am, once staff had stopped working.

At one point, he took off his clothes and pretended to shower, tracking his actions in a video which he posted on YouTube, reported Taiwan News.

A security alarm was triggered by his movements in the store but he managed to avoid discovery when a guard came to check.

At 5am-plus, the video shows concern on Max Lee's face when the lights in the store suddenly get activated but his checks do not reveal any staff member's presence.

A relaxed Max Lee then uses a mock-up of an apartment in the store, saying that this is his house.

He pretends to be a baby in a cot and simulates masturbation at a computer desk, saying: "What're you looking at?

Around 9am, the video shows him leaving the store, telling an employee whom he comes across that he is an early customer.

She tells him that breakfast is not ready to be served at its in-house cafe.

After he is outside the store, Max Lee can be heard on the video saying that he has "successfully completed" his mission.

But many netizens are outraged over the prank he pulled.

One person asked if he had considered the possibility of Ikea staff being hauled up by their superiors over the security breach. They could be sacked.

After his YouTube video went viral, Ikea reported the matter to the authorities, with New Taipei City Police Department's Xinzhuang precinct on Thursday (Oct 31) charging Max Lee with indecent conduct and unlawful entry.

At the police station, where he was called up to give a statement, he reportedly apologised, saying that his father is upset over what he had done.

Max Lee has tried to contain the damage by removing the video from his YouTube channel and Facebook page.

But netizens say he is testing people's patience.

They note that he seems to like to court controversy, perhaps to stand out among others who make a living from their YouTube channels.

In 2018, media outlets reported that Max Lee posted photos of what seemed to be cannabis in jars.

He later clarified that the marijuana was fake, and waved off the protests by saying that "Taiwanese don't have a sense of humour".

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