Taxi driver who recorded upskirt video of passenger while driving gets 4 months' jail
A 60-year-old taxi driver was sentenced to four months' jail for filming an upskirt video of his passenger.
[video=youtube;kDcFFTJu7bA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDcFFTJu7bA[/video]
Published 10 hours ago
Elena Chong
Court Correspondent
SINGAPORE - A 60-year-old taxi driver was sentenced to four months' jail on Wednesday (Dec 16) for filming an upskirt video of his passenger.
Tan Swee Pheng had used his left hand to point his phone at the woman, who had fallen asleep in the rear of the cab. He continued to steer the Comfort taxi with his right hand.
He is appealing against the sentence. Bail of $20,000 pending appeal was allowed.
The court heard that the woman boarded his taxi in Bedok on the morning of Sept 28 and asked him to take her to UOB Plaza at Raffles Place.
During the journey, she fell asleep. At about 9.05am, while Tan was driving along Central Boulevard, she woke up. She saw that he had stretched out his left hand with his Samsung mobile phone to film underneath her skirt.
Shocked, she shouted at him and asked what he was doing.
Tan apologised immediately and pleaded with her not to report the matter to the police. He said he would delete the video and he did so.
After she alighted, she felt angry and that her modesty was insulted. She later lodged a police report.
Tan, who admitted using his mobile phone to record the upskirt video, said he did it as he felt lust and wanted to look at the woman's thigh, the court heard.
Two other similar charges were taken into consideration.
The prosecution, which sought two to four months' jail, told the court that Tan had abused his trust as a public transport worker.
It said this kind of offence was hard to detect, and the use of technology is a recognised aggravating factor because of the risk of the videos being circulated, and the fact that they could be replayed.
The way Tan committed the offence was dangerous.
Tan, who is no longer driving a taxi, pleaded for a fine, saying he had to take care of his elderly mother. He apologised to the victim, and said he was remorseful.
District Judge Ronald Gwee said these were serious offences.
"Passengers are entitled to feel safe while riding in taxis, and should never have to feel that their privacy have been intruded,'' he said.
Tan could have been jailed for up to one year and fined for insulting the modesty of a woman.
