SINGAPORE — A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student was jailed for nearly four months on Tuesday (Jan 8) after pleading guilty to taking upskirt videos of at least seven women — and filming down someone’s blouse — over a two-month period.

His victims included two colleagues who worked at the accounting firm which he interned at, as well as two of his friends, the court heard.

The 24-year-old, who cannot be named to protect his victims’ identities, admitted to six charges of insulting a woman’s modesty. Another 12 such charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

In sentencing him to 15 weeks’ jail, District Judge Kessler Soh said he took into account the offender's “relatively young age and potential prospects”.

The student’s lawyer Kelvin Ong said that his client has had his undergraduate degree withheld by NTU since being charged with the offences. He completed his studies in May last year.

Responding to queries, a NTU spokesperson said that it "does not condone such behaviour", and that the student code of conduct "clearly sets out the university’s expectations that students maintain high standards of ethical and civil conduct".

"Now that the court proceedings have concluded, the student will be referred to the university’s disciplinary procedure for appropriate action," added the spokesperson.

The judge said: “These offences you’ve committed — taking upskirt videos of colleagues, other students and women — are very wrong. The court has to send a clear message that such behaviour has to be stopped.”

In tears, the student replied: “I understand, Your Honour.”

WHAT HE DID

The court heard that he used a hidden camera app on his mobile phone to record at least 17 upskirt videos and film down a women’s blouse. This was done mainly to his friends, colleagues and acquaintances.

He became tempted to take upskirt videos after viewing them on sex-themed online forum Sammyboy. Sometime in 2017, he found out about the app in a thread discussing such videos, and downloaded it.

He first took an upskirt video on May 14 that year of an unidentified woman who attended a birthday party organised by his friend.

His filming spree ended at his internship workplace on July 3, 2017, when a senior tax associate caught him red-handed. He had used his mobile phone to film up her skirt for eight minutes when she was standing beside his desk.

Shortly after she left the desk, the woman’s manager told her he had been behaving suspiciously. The senior tax associate confronted him and asked to see his mobile phone. After discovering the video, the firm’s human resource deputy director called the police.

He had also filmed another colleague on June 27, 2017 while she was standing beside his desk.

Later in the day, he met two friends for dinner and a movie at Cathay Cineleisure Orchard. He took a total of seven upskirt videos of two 22-year-old women while he was on the escalator.

The day before, he also took several upskirt videos of a university student and also filmed down her blouse while they were at an event held in a cafe at the National Museum of Singapore.

‘VERY REMORSEFUL AND ASHAMED’

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Kong Kuek Foo argued that while the student had been diagnosed with voyeurism at the Institute of Mental Health, “it did not rob him of his self-control”.

“In this age, smartphones and the application he used makes it easier for people to prey on unsuspecting women, so this case needs to serve as some deterrence,” DPP Kong added.

Mr Ong said his client has sought treatment at IMH and stopped his voyeuristic behaviour after being arrested. He has also undergone counselling and personally apologised to at least one of his victims.

The lawyer added: “He is very remorseful and ashamed of his actions… he has not been able to graduate… his reputation is now in tatters. He’s been volunteering in church and as a teacher. I believe his risk of reoffending is low.”

For each charge of insulting a woman’s modesty, he could have been jailed up to a year and/or fined.