Private-hire driver took upskirt videos of female passengers and pedestrians, jailed

SINGAPORE: A private-hire driver who took upskirt videos of female passengers and another 88 pedestrians on escalators was sentenced to 12 weeks’ jail on Monday (Jan 8).

Low Jun Xian, 36, pleaded guilty to four counts of voyeurism, with another two charges taken into consideration.

The court heard that Low took voyeuristic videos of three women who boarded his private-hire vehicle between December 2022 and May 2023.

The women were aged 33, 35 and 41 respectively and sat in the back.

Low placed his phone on video-recording mode and directed the camera at the victims’ private parts, capturing their underwear and the faces of two of the victims.

Low’s voyeurism was not constrained to his vehicle. He also took upskirt videos of 88 victims between November 2022 and February 2023, recording at least 88 videos of female victims on escalators.

He was arrested on Jul 1 last year at Sengkang Bus Interchange after a member of the public called for help saying a man in a blue top and Bermudas with slippers had been “following girls around”.

Low later admitted taking the videos for his “personal sexual gratification”.

The prosecutor asked for between 12 and 18 weeks’ jail for Low.

Low’s offences against the passengers were not opportunistic, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Matthew Choo.

“He had planned to record voyeuristic videos of the victim passengers by taking advantage of the fact that the victims would have to manoeuvre to exit his vehicle, briefly exposing their covered genitals,” said Mr Choo.

The penalties for voyeurism are up to two years’ jail, a fine, caning, or any combination of these punishments.