Tenant Jailed for Secretly Filming Landlady and her Daughter Over 5 Years

A long-term tenant in Singapore was sentenced to 19 months in jail on Dec 30 for secretly filming his landlady and her young daughter over a period of five years. The 40-year-old man, whose name has been redacted under a gag order, pleaded guilty to voyeurism and insulting modesty charges, with other similar offences considered in sentencing.

A Decade of Trust Betrayed

The man had been living with the family for a decade, sharing their home as a tenant. From 2018 to 2023, he filmed the landlady during her showers and her daughter while she changed clothes in the master bedroom. Investigators later uncovered 13 videos of the landlady, 9 videos of her daughter, and 74 screenshots taken from the footage.

The offences began when the girl was three to four years old, and continued into her early primary school years. The tenant filmed them by keeping his door ajar and positioning his phone to capture footage from the master bedroom. His actions escalated over time as he became bolder.

Caught Red-Handed

The tenant was exposed on April 8, 2024, when the landlady discovered him filming her through a gap under the bathroom door as she showered. Startled, she screamed and called her husband, who then contacted the police. The man fled to his room, transferred the footage to another device, and attempted to delete all evidence.

Police arrested him that same day, seizing his electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed the extent of his voyeuristic crimes.

Impact on the Victims

The landlady was deeply shaken upon learning that the tenant had violated her privacy and targeted her daughter. She expressed devastation in a victim impact statement, noting that she had trusted him as a long-time tenant. While her daughter remains unaware of the offences, the family has taken steps to bolster security, including installing CCTV cameras and replacing locks with digital systems.

Court Proceedings

The prosecution sought 21 to 24 months of jail time with caning, emphasizing the daughter’s vulnerability as a young child. However, the judge declined to impose caning, citing the absence of physical violence in the offences.

The defence argued for a reduced sentence, noting that the crimes involved no physical contact and were unsophisticated. Ultimately, the judge sentenced the tenant to 19 months in prison but did not impose caning.

Legal Context

Under Singapore law, voyeurism carries a penalty of up to two years’ jail, along with potential fines and caning. For offences involving children, punishments can be doubled under amalgamated charges. Insulting modesty, an older offence category, carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail or a fine.

Comments

Poh Li San to Defends Her Turf in Sembawang West SMC

In the newly formed Sembawang West Single Member Constituency (SMC), incumbent Member of Parliament Poh Li San will stand as the People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate, setting the stage for a one-on-one electoral battle with Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Dr Chee Soon Juan. The announcement came during a press conference held on April 22 at Beaulieu House, where Poh, 50, officially confirmed her candidacy. She currently oversees the Sembawang West ward under the larger Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC), where she has served since the 2020 General Election. During the event, the PAP also introduced its full five-member team for the adjacent Sembawang GRC. Poh, speaking in English, Mandarin, and Malay, said she is fully prepared for the upcoming contest, even though it will pit her against the head of a major opposition party. She acknowledged that the competition with Dr Chee would not be easy, calling it a “tough one-on-one fight.” Still, she expressed co...

Singapore Cracks Down on Inconsiderate Bus Riders

New legislation passed in Singapore on October 14th introduces stricter regulations for passenger conduct on public buses and at bus interchanges, alongside new powers for security personnel. The amendments to the Bus Services Industry Act are designed to penalize disruptive and inconsiderate behavior, bringing rules for buses in line with those already governing the train system. Senior Minister of State for Transport, Murali Pillai, explained in Parliament that the government aims to curb nuisance activities that affect the comfort and experience of other commuters. He cited specific examples of behaviors that will be regulated, including eating and drinking on buses, littering, and playing loud music or videos from mobile devices without headphones. Individuals who breach these new conduct regulations will face financial penalties, with the severity of the fine corresponding to the impact of their behavior on others. Higher penalties will be imposed on repeat offenders. The de...

ISD Foils Teen’s Plot to Attack Mosques in Singapore

A 17-year-old Singaporean was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) after plotting to attack five mosques and kill at least 100 Muslims. Inspired by the Christchurch mosque shootings in 2019, he had planned to carry out the attacks after Friday prayers and then take his own life. His radicalisation, which began in 2022, was detected during investigations into another extremist, 18-year-old Nick Lee, who was detained in December 2024. The Internal Security Department (ISD) revealed on April 2 that the teenager had engaged with Islamophobic and far-right extremist content online, developing a deep hatred for Muslims and Malays. He identified as an "East Asian supremacist," believing that Han Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese were superior to Malays and Indians. He frequently shared extremist content and participated in online debates to criticise Islam. His radicalisation escalated in late 2023 after watching the Christchurch shooter’s video, which he viewed as inspirat...

LAKOPINEWS.COM

Search This Blog