NUS student to plead guilty for trespassing, taking shower pics
SINGAPORE — A National University of Singapore (NUS) undergraduate who trespassed into a female toilet within a residential college to take obscene photos of two women indicated in court that he will be pleading guilty to his charges on Wednesday (11 December).
Ryan You Jun Chao, 25, faces two counts of criminally trespassing into the female toilet on 14 February this year at about 7.15am, and on 5 March at about 2.15am.
On both occasions, he allegedly took photos of two women showering with his mobile phone. The female students and the residential college cannot be named due to a gag order by the court.
You’s plead guilty hearing has been fixed for 20 January.
NUS has suspended student
In a statement to Yahoo News Singapore, an NUS spokesperson said that a Board of Discipline has imposed suspension, deferred graduation, mandatory counselling and rehabilitation sessions on You.
The disciplinary sanctions will also be part of the student’s formal educational record at the university, said a spokesperson.
“Support and assistance were immediately offered to the victims as soon as we learned of the incidents. There is currently a no-contact order imposed on the student offender,” the spokesperson said.
The university noted that the two incidents involving You had occured before tougher sanctions were introduced.
“NUS does not condone nor tolerate any form of sexual misconduct on our campuses. In June 2019, the University imposed tougher penalties for sexual misconduct offences. This was reinforced with greater support for victims through our dedicated Victim Care Unit, which was set up in August 2019,” the spokesperson said.
Tougher sanctions after public outcry
The tougher sanctions were imposed following a public outcry, when female NUS undergraduate Monica Baey expressed frustration on 18 April that the university had not done more against a fellow undergraduate, Nicholas Lim, who filmed her showering in a hall last November.
As part of the enhanced safety and security measures on campuses, NUS has also installed secure shower cubicles, restroom locks, additional CCTV cameras, and roving security patrols.
All staff and students are made to complete a module on “A Culture of Respect and Consent”, the spokesperson added.
If convicted of insulting the modesty of a woman, You faces a year’s jail and/or a fine. If convicted on criminal trespass, he can be jailed up to three months and/or fined up to $1,500.
According to court records, he had applied to travel overseas for a holiday with his girlfriend and her family later this month, and the court has approved his application last month.
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