Man jailed 12 weeks for using mobile phone to film 10-year-old girl showering
SINGAPORE — Feeling curious about how a 10-year-old girl showered, a man recorded his landlord’s niece showering through the kitchen toilet window.
Chu Vui Kian was jailed 12 weeks on Wednesday (30 October) after he admitted to one count of insulting the modesty of the girl in June this year.
In that same month, The 25-year-old Malaysian had also filmed the family’s domestic helper showering in the flat’s toilet. This charge was taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Girl noticed mobile phone with camera towards her
Chu was working as a chef in Singapore and was a tenant renting a room from a 31-year-old female landlord, who cannot be named to protect her niece’s identity.
The landlord’s niece had stayed over at the premises as her parents were overseas. On 26 June, at about 8pm, she took a shower in the kitchen toilet.
Chu noticed that she went to shower. He went to the unit’s service yard, reached up to the toilet window and recorded the girl showering with his mobile phone. He did so as he felt curious about how a 10-year-old girl showers, Deputy Public Prosecutor Chan Yi Cheng told the court.
While the girl was shampooing her hair, she looked up at the toilet window and saw the mobile phone in a black casing with its camera pointed towards her. By the time she rinsed away the soap, the mobile phone had gone. She felt scared, immediately finished bathing and exited the bathroom.
Chu meanwhile returned to his room and reviewed the 36-second long video, which captured the girl’s naked body partially. “The accused felt that he had done something wrong, and later deleted the video,” said DPP Chan.
The girl told her brother about the incident and, at about 12.45am, the siblings told the landlord when she returned home.
The landlord then called the police, who arrived at the premises. Chu felt scared and did not admit to his offences initially, but confessed during investigations.
‘Highly intrusive’ actions
Seeking at least 12 weeks’ jail, DPP Chan said Chu’s actions were “highly intrusive” and that the potential harm towards the girl was great, given her age and that she had felt afraid. The DPP pointed out that Chu had used the same modus operandi on the family’s domestic helper earlier that month.
Chu’s actions were also predatory and premeditated, said DPP Chan.
Chu, who was unrepresented, said through an interpreter, “Please be lenient to me because I am working to support my family.”
He added that he sought the forgiveness of the landlord’s father, the landlord and the victim’s mother, and that they have forgiven him.
In sentencing Chu, District Judge Adam Nakhoda said, “In this case I agree with the prosecution, (the) offence was both predatory and premeditated, from the charges and statement of facts, it is clear that you had intended not just to film any woman in this situation but in particular a young 10-year-old… this cannot be condoned in any way, it has to be condemned in (strong terms).”
For insulting the modesty of the girl, Chu could have been jailed up to one year, and/or fined.
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