SINGAPORE: A university undergraduate who faces charges of molesting women on public transport and committing voyeurism was remanded earlier this month for allegedly offending while on bail.
The 24-year-old pleaded with a court on Tuesday (Sep 23) to be released on bail to resume his internship.
He made the request after his lawyer had already submitted for bail on his behalf, saying that his late father’s only wish was for him to complete university.
The judge rejected his bid, noting that this was his second time allegedly offending while on bail.
The accused cannot be named under the Children and Young Persons Act as he was under the age of 18 when he allegedly committed some of the offences. Accordingly, CNA is not reporting the name of his university as it may lead to his identification.
THE CASE
He faces 12 charges relating to voyeurism, molestation and theft.
He is accused of recording upskirt videos on 235 occasions between January 2016 and September 2019.
Among other offences he allegedly committed were stealing valuables such as a wallet and cash from victims at the men’s toilet of the Water Sports Centre at Singapore Sports Hub, squeezing a 20-year-old woman’s buttock at Serangoon MRT Station, and recording a video up a 20-year-old woman’s skirt on an escalator at Kovan MRT Station.
He also allegedly had 30 videos of 30 unknown female victims at Hougang MRT Station that are believed to have been obtained via voyeurism.
At about 10.45pm on Feb 8 last year, the man allegedly molested a 23-year-old woman by touching her buttock with his handphone. This was while he was going up an escalator at Buangkok MRT Station.
A day later, at the lock-up interview room of Woodlands Police Divisional Headquarters, he allegedly failed to comply with a police officer’s instruction, by failing to give the password to his phone.
On Sep 24, 2024, in an interview room at Clementi Police Divisional Headquarters, he allegedly keyed in the wrong password to his phone multiple times when the police officer asked for help to gain access to the device.
At about 7.15pm on Jun 5, 2025, the man allegedly recorded an upskirt video of a 19-year-old victim at Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station.
The latest offence was in September this year for allegedly possessing obscene pictures and videos on his phone at Kovan MRT Station.
THE BAIL APPLICATION
On Tuesday, the man’s lawyer, Ms Simran Kaur Sandhu from IRB Law, sought bail for her client.
While she acknowledged that offensive materials were found in her client’s possession, she said certain regulations could be put in place to make sure he did not reoffend, such as giving him a phone without Internet access.
She said that if her client does not come out from remand, he might have to restart his education journey.
She said he was willing to return his phone to the police and use a phone with no camera for the sole purpose of communication, so he can continue his education and go back to his internship.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Benjamin Low objected to bail for the young man.
He said this was not actually the first time he reoffended while on court bail – the voyeurism offence in June this year was committed while he was on bail.
“We believe there is a real high risk that he will reoffend,” said Mr Low.
“In fact, (the charges) seem to suggest … a propensity for conduct committed in public places, particularly public transportation sites such as MRT stations, using the accused’s handphone,” he said.
When the judge was about to give her decision, the accused asked to speak. He was attending the hearing via video-link from his place of remand.
“I would like to explain some of my circumstances, in that – in 2019, my dad passed on, and his only wish for me is to be able to complete my university (studies) because he did believe that education is really key to many things,” said the accused.
“I hope that you will be able to see the same thing as well. I currently just started my year three studies and I’m on track for second upper honours, and hopefully I’ll be able to complete with first class honours,” he said.
He said he worked very hard to be in university and to enter a good work attachment company and “treasured every opportunity given” to him.
“These two weeks I’ve been in remand, it’s very, very hard to endure,” said the accused.
He said he had deeply reflected on his actions and understands where he did wrong, but said he wished to continue with his studies as it was “very important” to him and his family.
“Ever since 2019, when my dad has passed on, my family is broken. My mom is semi-retired, my brother is unemployed. The income I get from my work attachment is S$1,500, and this is what I have to use to support my family,” said the accused.
“I do wish that you will be able to give me an opportunity and see that I am someone who is able to be given a chance in this. I really, really wish that you can give me a chance in this,” he said.
The judge said she had considered the application and submissions fully, but this was the second time the man offended on bail.
“A chance was given to him prior to this,” she said. “The first time he offended on bail, bail was increased.”
The accused interjected and said that his latest alleged offence while on bail, for possessing obscene materials, involved materials that had been uploaded to a cloud without his knowledge.
“When I was stopped by the Transcom officers at Kovan MRT, they did not give me any reason for why they stopped me,” he said.
“They just came up to me and requested for my phone, I did not know why they wanted to do so. When they checked my phone there wasn’t any obscene materials in my gallery, in my hidden, in my recently deleted,” he said.
He said he had deleted all the obscene materials he previously had, but the officers went to an online website which was Google Photos or Google Drive and said he possessed obscene material.
“I wasn’t aware there was a backup done automatically on my device, hence it’s not that I had reoffended, it’s just that I was not efficient enough in my cleaning,” he said.
The prosecutor said there would be no issue of the period of remand outstripping the man’s eventual sentence.
He said the charges he faces will attract “not insubstantial” jail terms with a fairly lengthy jail term expected.
“I am told that the offending material likely runs into the region of five figures,” said Mr Low.
The case was scheduled for a pre-trial conference in November.
If convicted of possessing obscene material, the man can be jailed for up to three months, fined, or both.
For obstructing the lawful exercise of an investigator, he can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
For each count of voyeurism, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of such punishments.
For each count of molestation, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these penalties.
In response to queries from CNA, a spokesperson from the university said the school was aware of the matter involving one of its undergraduates.
“As the case is currently before the courts, we are unable to comment further,” said the spokesperson.
