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.
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