• Daniel Chen Junyi took upskirt photos in 2018 and was given a two-year warning
• When he was at a clothing store with his girlfriend, he filmed up a teenage employee’s dress
• A district judge rejected his lawyers’ arguments for community-based sentences

SINGAPORE — He was given a two-year conditional warning for taking upskirt photographs of a teenage schoolgirl in a lift, but breached it with three months left to go.

When he was then a teacher with the Ministry of Education (MOE), Daniel Chen Junyi took more upskirt videos of a clothing store employee who was a teenager. His girlfriend had been browsing nearby at the time.

Chen, 29, was jailed six weeks on Wednesday (Sept 30) after pleading guilty last month to two counts of insulting a woman’s modesty. Two other similar charges were considered for sentencing.

District Judge Adam Nakhoda rejected his lawyer James Ow Yong’s argument for community-based sentences, saying that Chen was “clearly not deterred” despite having been caught, investigated and warned for his previous offence.

The judge noted that Chen was not diagnosed with a psychiatric condition as well.

He was no longer with MOE since January last year, a spokesperson told TODAY previously.

FILMED GIRLS IN LIFT, CLOTHING STORE

Court documents showed that in November 2017, Chen was at Jurong Point mall and took an upskirt video of a female victim he did not know.

He next struck on Jan 11, 2018 when he was about to meet his girlfriend at her block of flats. He entered the lift with a 17-year-old girl and her sister, who were both wearing their school uniforms.

After pressing the button for the highest floor even though his girlfriend lived on the fourth floor, he stood behind the girls.

Chen then bent down and placed his mobile phone beneath the 17-year-old girl’s skirt twice. When her sister noticed his movements from the corner of her eye, she turned around and he pulled back his phone.

After the girls left the lift, he went to the highest floor and watched the video there before going to his girlfriend’s place.

The schoolgirls made a police report that evening.

Chen was arrested about a week later when the police traced him through police camera footage. He had deleted the video by then.

He was given a conditional warning over this, which meant that he had to remain crime-free for two years. Offenders can be prosecuted for the original crime for which they were warned if they commit more offences.

Chen then re-offended on Sept 25 last year, while he was accompanying his girlfriend to shop for clothes.

He approached a 17-year-old employee, bent down and filmed up her dress. She grew uncomfortable upon realising he was standing very close to her. 

After taking upskirt videos of her and another victim, Chen left with his girlfriend.

He was arrested five days later. Two upskirt videos were retrieved from his mobile phone.

WENT BACK TO COUNSELLING SESSIONS

When Chen pleaded guilty last month, Deputy Public Prosecutor Kathy Chu described his behaviour as "persistent and brazen” and that he specifically targeted young girls.

Mr Ow, his lawyer, said in mitigation that Chen appeared to have committed the offences on the spur of the moment.

After he was warned, he voluntarily went for counselling and psychotherapy that were “effective in curbing his urges”.

“His psychologist also noted that when he had stopped the psychotherapy sessions, unfortunately, the urges proved too much of a force for him to overcome,” the lawyer said.

District Judge Nakhoda questioned why Chen did not get more counselling when he started experiencing considerable stress at work — that is, preparing materials for his teaching job.

“He did not restart his psychotherapy and for that he is deeply regretful,” Mr Ow replied, adding that Chen has since regularly attended sessions.

He had also taken steps such as gluing a sticker to his mobile phone to permanently block his mobile phone camera, and voluntarily joined various help groups.

Mr Ow sought community-based sentences in the form of a two-week detention order, community service order and day reporting order.

Chen comes from a “stable, supportive family” and his girlfriend has stayed with him, the lawyer said.

For insulting a woman’s modesty, he could have been jailed up to a year or fined, or both.