Five men, aged between 28 and 53, will be charged in court on 12 July 2023 for their suspected involvement in separate cases of voyeurism.
The cases are:
- On 17 December 2020, Police received a report informing that a man was attempting to use his mobile phone to peep into a residential unit along Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 and a 39-year-old man was swiftly identified through follow-up investigations. Investigations revealed that the man had allegedly used his mobile phone to facilitate the voyeurism of female persons on multiple occasions between 2016 and 2020. The man will be charged with one amalgamated count of voyeurism under Section 377BB(4) punishable under Section 377BB(7) of the Penal Code read with Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code for the acts allegedly committed in 2020. For the offences allegedly committed from 2016 to 2019, the man will be charged with four amalgamated counts of insulting the modesty of a woman under Section 509 of the Penal Code read with Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
- On 20 July 2021, a 40-year-old man allegedly recorded an upskirt video of a 27-year-old woman on an escalator at ION Orchard. The man was also found to be in possession of a voyeuristic video of another woman recorded on the same day, and six other voyeuristic videos of a third woman recorded sometime in July 2021. The man was detained by a member of the public on 20 July 2021 and was subsequently arrested at scene by Police officers who attended to the incident. The man will be charged with three counts of voyeurism under Section 377BB(5) punishable under Section 377BB(7) of the Penal Code.
- On 4 November 2022, a 53-year-old man allegedly recorded an upskirt video of a 30-year-old woman and a separate upskirt video of another woman while on a MRT train. The man was detained by members of the public and was subsequently arrested at scene by Police officers who attended to the incident. The man will be charged with two counts of voyeurism under Section 377BB(4) punishable under Section 377BB(7) of the Penal Code 1871. He will also be charged with three amalgamated counts of voyeurism under Section 377BB(5) punishable under Section 377BB(7) of the Penal Code read with Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code, for being in possession of multiple upskirt videos of women taken between 2020 to 2022. In addition, the man will also be charged with one count of an offence under Section 30(1) of the Films Act 1981 for his alleged possession of multiple obscene videos.
- On 2 December 2022, the Police received an electronic report informing that between July and 2 December 2022, a 28-year-old man had allegedly installed cameras in the toilet of a building along Changi South Lane to record voyeuristic videos of women on multiple occasions. The man was subsequently arrested on 5 December 2022. The man will be charged with two counts of voyeurism under Section 377BB(2) punishable under Section 377BB(7) of the Penal Code 1871 read with Section 124(8)(a)(ii) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.
- On 4 February 2023, a 37-year-old man was detained by an off-duty Police officer for attempting to take a upskirt video in a store at Tampines Mall and was arrested at scene. Investigations revealed that the man was in possession of multiple upskirt videos of women between 2022 and 2023. The man will be charged with two amalgamated counts of possession of voyeuristic recordings under Section 377BD(1)(a) punishable under Section 377BD(2) of the Penal Code 1871 read with Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010.
The offence of voyeurism, punishable under Section 377BB(7) of the Penal Code 1871, carries an imprisonment term which may extend to two years, a fine, caning, or any combination of such punishments. The offence of possession of or gaining access to voyeuristic or intimate images or recordings punishable under Section 377BD(2) of the Penal Code 1871 carries an imprisonment term which may extend to two years, a fine, or both. The offence of possession of obscene films punishable under Section 30(1) of the Films Act 1981 carries an imprisonment term which may extend to six months, a fine of up to $20,000, or both.
Voyeurism cases remain a key concern for the Police. The Police have zero tolerance towards sexual offenders who threaten the personal safety of the community, and offenders will be dealt with sternly in accordance with the law. The Police will continue to work closely with stakeholders and the community to prevent and deter voyeurism cases. The Police urge members of the public to remain vigilant against voyeurism by being aware of their surroundings and to report the matter to the Police immediately if they witness an incident of voyeurism or are aware of someone being a victim of voyeurism. Reporting such crimes early is crucial in helping the Police identify and arrest the perpetrators.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
11 July 2023 @ 11:00 AM