In the modern era, privacy is becoming more and more of a rare commodity, with spying becoming easier than ever.
For example, 40% of Singaporeans polled secretly installed “stalkerware” to spy on their partners.
In the case of one unfortunate woman, a homeowner she rented with would leverage technology to spy on her undressing.
The method: installing pinhole cameras to watch her room.
Homeowner Uses 8 Spy Cameras to Watch Tenant
The victim, a 29-year-old Malaysian woman working in Singapore, rented a room in January 2019.
The apartment belonged to 68-year-old Daniel Poon Lee, who was married and lived with his wife there, according to 8world News.
Poon used a spare key to enter her room at least once a month, allegedly helping to clean her room or changing the lightbulb.
Although uncomfortable, the victim took them as simple kindness and consideration from the homeowner.
Unfortunately, Poon had more sinister motives in mind. Between April 2020 and January 2021, he purchased eight pinhole cameras online, secretly installing two of them in her room.
He fitted one into a USB socket and another in an air-conditioning duct.
Not content with just monitoring her room, Poon also installed one inside the shower’s water heater to spy on her in the washroom, one in the kitchen, and three in the living room.
He placed the final one in his own bedroom for some reason.
The spy cameras constantly recorded footage until filling up their memory card, with the videos live-streamed directly to his phone.
Tenant & Boyfriend Call Police After Finding Spy Cameras
The victim discovered the secret cameras in April 2021, spotting a small hole in the wall under the air-con duct when Poon was out of the house.
On closer inspection, she noticed a red light and glass within. The frightened tenant quickly took a video and sent it to several people, including her boyfriend and cousin.
Upon receiving the video, her boyfriend made his way over to the apartment around an hour later and confirmed that it was a secret camera. They called the police.
The woman’s cousin also arrived soon after to help, attempting to find more cameras in the washroom. Though one was present, it was hidden well enough that she didn’t notice it by the time the police showed up.
Regardless, these two are the real ones for having her back in the situation.
When questioned by the police, Poon claimed he installed the cameras to monitor the tenant’s actions.
This argument fell apart pretty quickly when police discovered multiple videos of the woman changing clothes in her room or using the bathroom.
They also found at least 49 images of the tenant undressing saved on his computer.
Additionally, Poon explained where he hid the other seven cameras, enraging the tenant who moved out immediately.
He apologised to her before she left. Although we can never know what others are thinking, I feel pretty safe in saying this was completely insincere to the poor victim.
Poon Receives 10 Months in Jail
In court, Poon pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism, with one more taken into account.
The prosecution highlighted the extreme lengths of premeditation Poon took to hide the pinhole cameras.
On 16 July, the court sentenced him to ten months in jail.
Voyeurism Crimes on the Rise Recently
Voyeurism is the crime of recording or observing someone doing a private act without their consent.
Spying via secret cameras is one such method, but the more common act of “upskirting” would count under this crime as well.
Guilty offenders can be sentenced to up to two years in jail, a fine, caning, or all of the above, depending on the severity.
Voyeurism has unfortunately become more and more common recently. In 2022, a man was found guilty of using a pinhole camera fitted into his glasses to spy on women.
More recently, a fitness instructor spoke out about allegedly being recorded while showering in a gym.
The Annual Crime Brief 2023 saw 476 reported cases of voyeurism in 2023, an increase of 52 from 424 in 2022.
151 of these crimes took place in residential areas, with shopping complexes and public transport being the next two most popular locations.
Stay safe and stay vigilant, folks.
Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:
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