Student who took upskirt clip reoffends while out on bail

A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student was at his girlfriend's hall of residence on the school's campus on Oct 19 last year to visit her. While he was there, he took an upskirt video of a female student.

Singaporean Nicholas Tan Siew Chye, 25, was arrested on the same day. But while out on bail, he committed another upskirt offence.

Yesterday, Tan pleaded guilty in court to two counts of voyeurism.

A mandatory treatment order (MTO) suitability report was called for Tan, who has been diagnosed with voyeuristic disorder.

An NTU spokesman told The Straits Times that Tan is still a student of the university and that NTU has taken disciplinary action against him. He has been placed on suspension and barred from going to the campus.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Seah Ee Wei told the court that Tan spotted the victim, a 20-year-old female hall resident, at the hall of residence's first floor.

While the victim waited for the lift, Tan took out his mobile phone.

DPP Seah said: "He switched his phone camera to video mode and squatted down, placed his phone under the victim's dress with the camera aimed up her dress, and recorded an upskirt video."

She later reported the matter to campus security. Tan's identity was established through closed-circuit television footage.

He was arrested the same day and released on bail the next day.

On Feb 21 this year, Tan was returning home when he saw a 17-year-old girl in school uniform.

They took the same lift and, as the teenager was about to exit, Tan squatted down and stretched out his arm with his phone camera towards her thigh area to take an upskirt video.

She lodged a police report later that day and Tan was arrested again on March 1.

In court yesterday, DPP Seah asked for a jail sentence of eight to 12 weeks, saying that Tan had reoffended while out on bail.

Calling this an "unduly harsh punishment", Tan's lawyer Anthony Wong said his client had sought psychiatric help before the second offence but had not received it.

District Judge Tan Jen Tse called for the MTO report but reminded Tan that he can still be jailed.

Tan will return to court on Feb 14 next year for sentencing. He can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of the three for each offence.