• A polytechnic student went to peep at girls in toilets
• He did this at toilets both at his school and away from school
• The judge for his case has called for a report to assess if he is suitable for probation

SINGAPORE — A 19-year-old former Republic Polytechnic student admitted on Monday (Feb 8) to trespassing into women’s toilets, including in his school, to film teenage girls relieving themselves.

The youth, who cannot be named as he was under 18 years old at the time of offence, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal trespass and one count of insulting the modesty of a woman. Another count of insulting a woman’s modesty will be taken into consideration during sentencing.

His lawyer Chong Xin Yi said that he was suspended by the polytechnic after he got caught and has since enrolled in another school, though she did not name the school.

District Judge May Mesenas called for a report to assess whether he is suitable for probation, which allows young offenders to continue with their education or employment while serving their sentences.

The teenager was diagnosed with depression and a psychiatrist at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) later said in a medical report that his depression had contributed significantly to his lack of control over his impulses and negative risk-taking behaviour at the time of the offences.

The court heard that he saw a young girl entering a toilet behind a Starbucks cafe at Keat Hong Community Club on Nov 11, 2018 at around 5.30pm and decided to follow her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kang Jia Hui said: “He intended to peep at the young girl but changed his mind when he was in the cubicle as he was afraid of being caught.”

He stayed in the cubicle until another girl, a 17-year-old student, entered the toilet about 15 minutes later and occupied the cubicle next to his.

The boy then put his mobile phone above the separating cubicle wall to film her. 

He was caught and given a 24-month conditional warning but reoffended about a year later.

Conditional warnings typically mean the authorities can prosecute an offender for the original crime for which he was warned if he reoffends, as had happened in this instance.

On Oct 22, 2019, the teenager was on the ground floor of a building at Republic Polytechnic in the afternoon, when he saw another 17-year-old student entering the toilet and decided to follow her.

He occupied the cubicle next to hers and placed his jacket on the dividing wall to avoid suspicion, DPP Kang said.

He then placed his phone above her cubicle to film her. The girl spotted it about five seconds later, immediately dressed herself and left the cubicle. 

She waited for five to 10 minutes for him to leave the cubicle, but he stayed inside. 

Then she decided to wait for him outside the toilet and she confronted him when he emerged.

The boy, however, denied taking any photos or videos of her and no footage was recovered. 

The police were alerted after someone known only as Mr Rayan made a 999 call to the police the next day.

Ms Chong said that the 19-year-old boy is remorseful and has paid for his mistake by being suspended from the polytechnic and that his grades have improved at his new school since he sought medical treatment for his depression.

The IMH psychiatrist who prepared the medical report had found that his risk of reoffending is low, she added.

He will return to court for sentencing on April 5.