SINGAPORE — While he was training with the police as a full-time national serviceman, a man allegedly trespassed into a women's toilet in the training camp and aimed his phone camera at an officer who was showering.

Jonathan Chua Wei Cong, now 23, went on trial on Thursday (Nov 26) for one count of insulting a woman's modesty and another of trespass.

The court heard that he was posted to a unit with the Singapore Police Force between January and March last year.

On Mar 12 last year, Chua ended his theory lesson at the main block of the unit and went with a few other servicemen to return their books to the locker room. 

He then entered a women's toilet at the ground floor, unaccompanied by the rest, said the prosecution.

According to the prosecution's case, a police officer working in the unit was taking a shower in the women's toilet after training, when she saw a mobile phone on the top of the cubicle door.

She shouted and the offender ran away before she could catch a glimpse of him, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Zhi Hao.

She reported the incident to her superiors and they issued a lockdown order. Phones belonging to those present at the time of the offence were inspected, and the list of suspects was narrowed down to Chua and 13 other individuals based on the description of the phone given by the victim.

Investigations later revealed that the 13 other individuals did not enter the women's toilet that day. 

It is undisputed that Chua entered the toilet, but the issues in dispute are: Whether he entered the toilet with the intent to commit the offence of insulting a woman's modesty; whether he entered while the victim was showering; and if this is so, whether he moved his phone to the top of the cubicle and pointed it at her while she was showering.

"We submit that the evidence will inexorably answer these questions in the affirmative," said the prosecutor.

The victim was the first to testify, but the hearing was not open to the public or the media while she did so.

If convicted of insulting a woman's modesty, Chua could be jailed for up to a year, fined, or both. If found guilty of criminal trespass, he could be jailed for up to three months, fined up to S$1,500, or both. 

A third charge of possessing an obscene film in his phone was stood down or set aside for the time being.

CNA has contacted the police for more information. CNA

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