No probation for man who made voyeuristic clips, court told

Probation is not recommended for a Singaporean student from a top British university who made voyeuristic videos of several women here, a district court heard yesterday.

The prosecution told the court this after the offender had been assessed, including by a probation officer, for his suitability for probation.

The offender, now 23 years old, had pleaded guilty on July 29 to seven counts of insulting the women's modesty and an offence under the Films Act.

Yesterday, defence lawyer Kalidass Murugaiyan told the court he had questions for the probation officer and the psychologist who attended to the offender. He told District Judge Tan Jen Tse he wanted to know how the risk assessment was undertaken.

The offender, who cannot be named due to a gag order, is out on bail of $20,000. His pre-trial conference will be held on Oct 18.

During the earlier proceeding on July 29, the court heard that the clips he recorded involved 11 identified women and one unknown victim.

The offender, who started his university studies in 2018, targeted his first victim, then 18, in the wee hours on Dec 2, 2015.

He placed a recording device in a hotel room toilet to film her showering.

In early 2016, the principal of her junior college told her the clip had been circulating online. The police were alerted.

The offender continued targeting more women. He installed a recording device in a toilet in his home, and took an upskirt video of a 20-year-old while she was on an escalator.

The court heard that two of the videos were circulated online.

After receiving multiple reports between early 2016 and June 2019, the police identified the man as the main suspect.

They raided his home on July 3, 2019, and seized seven of his personal devices. Forensic analysis uncovered 16 other offending videos and 124 upskirt photographs.

The man had recorded the two videos that were circulated online and the other 16 found in his devices. Fourteen of the 18 videos were taken at his home.

He later came clean with the police about what he had done.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Zhi Hao had earlier said: "In total, (the offender) estimated that the number of voyeuristic videos he had filmed was 'maybe (in the) three digits'.

"He would commit the offences when he felt stressed from school or work. He felt that filming the victims 'was an addiction' to him."