In the seemingly secure confines of a National University of Singapore (NUS) hostel, a disturbing incident has come to light.
A 27-year-old student, Ng Yong Kuan, infiltrated his sister’s hostel using her key card. What transpired next is a chilling narrative of privacy invasion, involving the placement of spy cameras disguised as smoke detectors in women’s toilets, according to Channel NewsAsia.
This egregious act came to an abrupt end when a vigilant student stumbled upon the clandestine operation.
He pleaded guilty on 14 November to criminal trespass, possession of intimate recordings likely to cause humiliation to those in the videos and 2 other charges that will be considered during his sentencing.
He has since been expelled from the school and the court has asked for a mandatory treatment order suitability report.
His sentencing has been adjourned to next month.
What happened?
Ng’s illicit venture began innocently enough. His sister, also an NUS student, resided in a hostel accessible only to those possessing key cards.
Seizing an opportunity during renovations at his home, Ng started using his sister’s key card to enter the building. This seemingly harmless act set the stage for a more sinister plot.
In May 2019 and February 2020, Ng acquired motion-activated spy cameras cleverly camouflaged as smoke detectors. These devices, purchased for prurient reasons, became tools for violating the privacy of unsuspecting female residents.
In the quiet hours of October 2019, Ng surreptitiously entered the women’s toilet, affixing a spy cam to the ceiling with tape.
The Disturbing Recordings
Over the span of several months, Ng engaged in a series of covert operations, capturing intimate moments of female victims showering. The captured images and footage, retrieved from his MacBook, exposed the severity of his actions. A total of 23 video recordings depicted the vulnerability of five female victims, a violation that left lasting scars.
Ng’s audacity reached new heights in February 2020 when he repeated the act, placing a spy camera in another women’s toilet within the same building. His modus operandi included retrieving the devices after a week, creating a twisted routine of violating privacy and indulging in the footage.
Caught in the act
The climax of this dark saga occurred on March 7, 2020, when Ng was caught in the act. A vigilant NUS student noticed a phone strategically placed on a ledge, facing the toilet entrance. This discovery prompted immediate action, involving campus security and law enforcement.
The concerned student, accompanied by a fellow student, sought assistance from campus security upon encountering a locked toilet door. Security personnel intervened, eventually unlocking the door to find Ng inside with an incriminating tote bag. The subsequent arrest exposed the shocking extent of Ng’s actions.