[ad_1]
Almost every day for about six months, the student from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was on the prowl.
Shaun Ho Yan Liang would search for women in shorts and skirts and walk close to them to discreetly record an under-skirt or under-shirt video using his phone.
Yesterday, the 26-year-old admitted to taking 469 videos of this type of 335 different victims over a period of 171 days.
He was convicted of two counts of insulting a woman’s modesty and one count under the Movies Act. Another charge was considered under the Film Act.
Ho, who was a senior psychology student at NTU at the time, took the February 2, 2018 videos at numerous locations, including Eastpoint Mall, a lab at the National Institute of Education’s School of Science, and downtown student activities and flyover at NTU’s North Column.
Describing Ho’s modus operandi to the court, Assistant District Attorney Sean Teh said that he would follow a woman and squat or stand near her with the rear camera of his phone directed at her.
On many occasions, including during the lessons at NTU, he followed the victim for some time and recorded various videos.
He took steps to avoid getting caught, such as using an app that would display a blank screen on his phone while he was recording video.
DPP Teh said that Ho took these videos almost daily and would review them later and enjoy them.
Ho also took screenshots of some of the videos.
His crime spree came to an end on July 22 after he was caught filming a victim.
The woman, who was with her boyfriend, was shopping at the Eastpoint Mall supermarket when they noticed Ho hanging around them.
Ho had followed her, standing and squatting behind her to shoot a total of 10 videos, from 8:40 to 9:55 p.m.
When the boyfriend realized what Ho was doing, he stopped him and reported him to the mall security.
Police confiscated Ho’s phone and laptop on the same day.
Forensic checks found the videos he took, in addition to 106 other obscene videos that he had downloaded from various websites.
Describing Ho as a “prolific serial upskirt offender,” DPP Teh said yesterday: “The general public, and more specifically students in educational institutions, must be protected from the egregious violations of their privacy posed by crimes. by upskirt.
“Such crimes insidiously undermine the sense of safety and security that all women should feel in public, and create an atmosphere of fear and suspicion within society, even in settings that should be comfortable and familiar.”
Citing numerous past upskirt cases to make his point, he claimed that Ho’s crimes had a “higher degree of wrongdoing” compared to any of them in terms of the number of incidents and their modus operandi.
In mitigation, Ho’s attorney, Kalaithasan Karuppaya, said his client deeply regretted and accepted responsibility for his actions.
“The defendant is a brilliant individual,” he said, citing testimonies from Ho’s former classmates, “the lawyer said.
“He is a highly motivated student with a bright future who has done well. He has shown potential to reform himself and contribute to society, and this is his first brush with the law.”
He also said that Ho had sought help and had undergone five counseling sessions since he was caught in 2018.
Kalaithasan added that Ho was not making excuses for his actions and only asked for forgiveness, mercy, and a lenient sentence.
In response, DPP Teh cited the case of Terence Siow, in which Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said references to offenders’ school excellence were irrelevant unless a link could be made to their ability to rehabilitation.
Siow, 24, was initially paroled, but was jailed for two weeks after a prosecution appeal.
DPP Teh added that the link described by the Chief Justice was not established in Ho’s case.
The prosecution has asked that Ho be imprisoned for 10 months and three weeks.
District Judge Adam Nakhoda deferred the case for sentencing as he needed time to consider the precedents.
Ho is expected to return to court next Wednesday.
DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
According to the NTU Psychological Society website, Ho was chosen as the student advisor to the executive committee in the September 11, 2018 elections.
An NTU spokesman said last night that Ho no longer attends classes and that he will be subject to disciplinary procedures at the university after his court sentence.
He added that NTU takes a firm stand against sexual misconduct, and any offender will be subject to disciplinary action, which can include suspension or expulsion, depending on the severity of the infractions, and other mitigating or aggravating factors.
For each count of insulting a woman’s modesty, Ho can be jailed for up to a year or fined, or both. For the Films Act charge, you can be jailed for up to six months or fined, or both.
[ad_2]
