A man in Singapore has been sentenced to four months in jail after pleading guilty to one charge of committing voyeurism, with a similar charge taken into consideration, for taking upskirt videos of women on the MRT.
According to TODAY, Song Wei Tat, 36, would place a camera facing up in a paper bag and put the bag on the floor of MRT cabins or go near women at various MRT stations to take upskirt videos of them. Over the course of about two months, Song took a total of 26 upskirt videos of different women without their consent at various MRT stations or on the train. He would intentionally record images and videos of the victims’ genital regions, whether exposed or covered.
The police found a total of 19 upskirt videos taken between January 2 and 30, 2020, on Song’s mobile phone and action camera, which is a small digital camera designed to record dynamic and fast-paced moments and widely used by sports enthusiasts.
CAUGHT BY A PASSENGER
On February 6, 2020, Song took a train from Tai Seng MRT Station heading towards Paya Lebar MRT Station. Before he reached Tai Seng MRT Station, he had placed an action camera in a dark blue paper bag that he was carrying, with the intention of taking upskirt videos.
When he arrived at Paya Lebar MRT Station, he switched the camera to recording mode. He then boarded a train at the station and went to the front cabin where he saw a girl in a pink skirt. Court documents did not state her age. When the train was at Aljunied MRT Station, Song stood beside her and put the paper bag on the floor at a position and angle where the camera had a direct view of the girl’s buttocks and genital areas.
After a while, a male passenger noticed him recording the upskirt video, so he confronted Song and alerted the girl. Both the male passenger and the girl then took him to the control station at the next station in Kallang, where an SMRT staff member called the police.
In court, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jonathan Tan sought four months’ jail for Song, saying that deterrence is a key sentencing principle in voyeurism cases. He added that Song’s offences were clearly planned and premeditated. Song’s defence counsel, Mr SS Dhillon, sought three months’ jail on account that he had cooperated with investigations and did not resist detainment and arrest at the MRT station.
The defense lawyer Mr Dhillon added that there were “no aggravating factors in this case” such as distribution of video because they were “meant for his own self-viewing”.
“My client is most remorseful for what he has done and wants to apologise to the victims.
“He is also a first-time offender with no previous convictions… he pleads for leniency and mercy.”
Song’s wife, who is one month pregnant and was also in court, had submitted a written leniency plea to the court, the lawyer said.
In sentencing, District Judge Crystal Tan said she agreed with the prosecution that Song had clear planning and premeditation in committing voyeurism and had tried to disguise his offence by hiding the camera in a bag.
“I also found it was aggravating for the offences to be committed on public transport or other transport areas,” she added.
Images for illustration only
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