A Judge ruled earlier today that a Singaporean Peeping Tom will not be allowed to return to the United Kingdom to continue his studies at a top university.
The 22-year-old allegedly took videos of women inside toilets.
District Judge Adam Nakhoda on Thursday (Jan 16), also ruled that the student’s identity will continue to be gagged by the court in order to protect his alleged victims.
The Judge’s decision was spurred by a conversation between the student and a friend which indicated that the former was contemplating remaining overseas, which suggested that the accused is a flight risk.
In his conversations with his friend, who turned one to be one of his 12 victims, the Peeping Tom said: “I could stay here, but that would be a certain metaphorical death.”
When the friend asked if he was certain he would be granted asylum, he replied: “Well, that’s in the masterplan.”
There has also been a push from the public and prosecutors to lift the gag order on the accused’s identity since he was first charged in October last year.
A total of 10 people out of the accused’s 12 victims have also requested that the former’s identity be revealed.
However, because consent from the remaining two had not been obtained, District Judge Nakhoda refused, saying, “The primary purpose of the gag order being extended to the identity of the accused… is to protect the identity of the victims… because there was a chance that the identity of victims could be exposed”.
The man was first charged with two counts of insulting a woman’s modesty by allegedly filming women using the toilet and taking a shower.
Now, the accused faces a total of 19 counts of insulting a woman’s modesty and one count of possession of obscene films. /TISG