A Singaporean man who recorded women without their knowledge over several years was sentenced to nine months and 31 weeks in jail after police discovered a mobile phone containing 179 upskirt videos.
Lim Yi Fei, 25, was sentenced on Friday (Aug 7) for offences committed between 2016 and 2025, including molestation and theft in dwelling.
According to CNA, Lim pleaded guilty to five charges, including one count of intruding upon the privacy of a woman with intent to insult her modesty and one count of using criminal force to a person with intent to outrage modesty. Another 11 charges were taken into consideration.
The court heard that Lim recorded the 179 videos between January 2016 and February 2019. The victims were unknown women whom he selected at random while travelling between home and work.
He would follow women from behind and record their buttocks at various locations, including escalators, public walkways, streets and shopping centres.
Lim was arrested on Sept 27, 2019, after police investigating a separate molestation case discovered the videos on his mobile phone.
Molestation at Serangoon MRT station
About a week before his arrest in September 2019, Lim molested a woman at Serangoon MRT station.
The woman, referred to as V2 in court documents because of a gag order protecting her identity, had arrived at the station and was walking towards an escalator to exit the platform.
Lim followed her and, while behind her, groped her buttocks before quickly walking away and taking another escalator.
The victim told her friend what had happened and alerted station security staff. Police were called, but Lim had already left the station.
Further offences while on bail
In 2024, Lim recorded an upskirt video of another woman while riding an escalator at Buangkok MRT station.
During the incident, his handphone touched the woman’s buttocks. The woman, identified as V3 in court documents, turned around and confronted him.
Two passers-by intervened and helped detain Lim. One of them alerted MRT station staff, who called the police.
Lim was arrested and remanded in custody before later being charged and released on bail.
In 2025, he was involved in another upskirt recording at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station.
Lim recorded a continuous video of a woman while travelling on an escalator. A man on the same escalator noticed what Lim was doing and confronted him.
When Lim resisted and asked the man to release him, the man refused. A struggle followed, during which the man pushed Lim to the floor and held him down.
He also asked the victim to contact MRT staff for assistance. Police were called and Lim was arrested. His bail was eventually revoked.
Stole Prada wallet from Sports Hub locker
Lim also committed a theft in 2018 at the Water Sports Centre at Singapore Sports Hub.
He was there for dragon boat training and opened a locker while looking for an empty one to use.
Inside, he spotted a black Prada wallet worth about S$700. Lim decided to take it because he thought it looked nice and intended to sell it.
He also stole the victim’s NRIC, several credit cards and clothing items.
Prosecution calls Lim a “serial, habitual offender”
Deputy Public Prosecutor Benjamin Low sought a sentence of at least 15 to 16 months’ jail and six to nine weeks’ jail, arguing that a stiff and deterrent punishment was necessary.
He said Lim’s conduct represented a “blatant and egregious invasion” of his victims’ privacy and deserved strong societal condemnation.
The prosecutor also described Lim as a “serial, habitual offender”, pointing to offences committed from 2016 through 2025.
Lim’s lawyer, Jonathan Wong of Tembusu Law, said in mitigation that while there appeared to be a continuing pattern of conduct, his client’s actions were not motivated by malice or predatory behaviour.
Mr Wong also highlighted Lim’s adjustment disorder and childhood trauma, saying these were not being raised as an excuse but to explain why someone with his profile could engage in such conduct.
He added that evidence showed Lim was intelligent and capable.
Judge notes repeated offending
District Judge Arvindren R said Lim should not be prejudiced because of his circumstances but noted the seriousness of his offending.
The judge highlighted that Lim had molested multiple victims and continued offending while on bail. He also noted that the number of upskirt videos — 179 in total — was significant.
Lim was ultimately sentenced to nine months and 31 weeks’ imprisonment.
For intruding upon a woman’s privacy with intent to insult her modesty, an offender can be jailed for up to one year, fined, or both.
For assaulting or using criminal force against a person with intent to outrage modesty, the offender can be jailed for up to two years, caned, fined, or given a combination of these punishments.
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