Serial upskirt offender gets 36 weeks for multiple counts of insulting modesty
Published on Jun 22, 2015 4:18 PM
Sng Qi Zhi, 26, who has been taking upskirt videos since 2007. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
By Elena Chong
SINGAPORE - A serial upskirt offender who also filmed multiple videos of his tenant showering since 2010 was sentenced to 36 weeks' jail on Monday.
Sng Qi Zhi, 26, has been taking upskirt videos since 2007. He faced a total of 247 charges of insulting the modesty of women, 47 of which were committed after he was charged in court last November for the first 200 offences.
He pleaded guilty to 10 counts.
A court heard that Sng was arrested at Bugis+ mall at Victoria Street on Dec 18, 2012 for taking upskirt videos earlier at Bugis Junction.
Police raided his flat in Bedok and seized his mobile phone which contained 36 upskirt videos, as well as a desktop containing 1,852 upskirt videos and 76 videos of people showering.
Sng admitted to having taken multiple upskirt videos since 2007. He would target females who wore short skirts, placing his phone underneath the skirt of the targeted females as he walked past or stood behind them.
He also admitted to having taken multiple videos of his 32-year-old female tenant while she was showering in the common toilet of his home. He would place his phone on top of the toilet door without the victim's knowledge to record the video.
After he was charged in court, he went on to commit further insulting modesty cases in Daiso store at Plaza Singapura on Dec 19. Two of the 47 charges happened on an escalator at an unknown location.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chin Jincheng sought a sentence of at least nine months, citing several aggravating factors.
He said Sng's offences involved the use of technology, and the proliferation of technology has led to a rise in such offences. He also mentioned the risk of dissemination of such videos on the Internet, the five-year span of his offences, and the harm done to a large number of victims.
Lawyer Louis Joseph said his client is pursuing his studies at the Singapore Institute of Management. He said Sng took proactive steps by attending counselling to address concerns and and issues pertaining to his life.
He successfully applied for Sng to defer sentence until July 6. Bail of $15,000 was offered.
Sng could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined for insulting modesty.
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