Lai Zi Yang, 26, was sentenced to 28 days’ jail on 9 Jun after pleading guilty to one charge of taking voyeuristic images without consent. Another similar charge was taken into consideration during his sentencing.
Lai registered his marriage in May.
Pattern of Voyeuristic Behaviour at MRT Station
The incident took place on 1 November 2024. Lai was travelling from Jalan Besar to meet a friend for dinner and had alighted at Tampines MRT station. While going up an escalator, he noticed a woman dressed in a skirt standing in front of him.
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Lai placed his phone on his knees with the camera lens facing upwards and took 14 upskirt photos of the victim.
The court heard that Lai often felt tempted to take such photos when he saw women in short skirts near him.
Another commuter saw what Lai was doing and confronted him before informing the victim. The victim later made a police report.
Over 100 Voyeuristic Images Uncovered
Police investigations found that Lai had taken upskirt photos of at least 10 other women. More than 100 voyeuristic images were recovered from his phone.
Lai admitted to using his phone to take the photos and then transferring them into a passcode-locked folder. Once transferred, the images would be automatically deleted from his phone’s photo gallery.
He said he viewed the photos when he was alone at home or in a toilet.
District Judge John Ng noted that Lai had shown a repeated pattern of such behaviour and that over 100 images were found during the investigation. The judge said these offences are often difficult to detect and that a strong message needed to be sent to deter others from similar acts.
In mitigation, Lai’s lawyer Low Chun Yee said his client is waiting for the keys to his Build-To-Order flat. Mr Low said Lai is a relatively young offender, adding that he knows what he has done is wrong and has gone for voluntary treatment. He will continue to do so.
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Those convicted of voyeurism can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or face any combination of these punishments.
Would you be jailed for being half-naked in public? Well, the answer will shock you. Seriously. Watch this to the end and you'll understand:
