Lau Jun Wei, 20, pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal trespass and one count of causing alarm by using insulting behaviour. (Photo: Getty)

SINGAPORE — A 20-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF) was caught red-handed taking photos of a male student showering at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) last year, a court heard.

The victim was so distressed by the incident that he eventually moved out of his Residential Hall.

At the State Courts on Monday (9 March), Lau Jun Wei pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal trespass and one count of causing alarm by using insulting behaviour.

He is expected to be sentenced on 6 April, pending a probation suitability report.

One other charge of criminal trespass and three counts of making an obscene film will be considered when he is sentenced. The obscene film charges relate to a video Lau made of himself masturbating another man in a Jurong Point toilet in April and July last year.

Caught red-handed at NTU

On 20 April last year, Lau spent the night in his friend’s dormitory room at NTU’s Residential Hall 3. They next day, he went to the toilet at about 12.30pm.

The victim, whose details were redacted from court documents due to a gag order, was showering in the last toilet cubicle.

Lau heard the sound of running water and placed his mobile phone over the top of the cubicle door.

“The accused then took two photographs of the victim, fully naked, as he was curious as to how men looked like when they showered,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Thiam Jia Min.

“The accused then quickly left the toilet, but was confronted by one of the victim’s friends, who had caught the accused holding his mobile phone over the top of the cubicle door. The said friend then notified the victim, who called for the police,” said DPP Thiam.

“The victim felt alarmed, distressed, and traumatised by the accused’s actions and eventually moved out of the Residential Hall as a result,” the prosecutor added.

Took photos, videos of other men

It wasn’t the first time Lau had taken photos of men in toilets. On 24 February last year, Lau was hanging out with a friend in NTU when he needed to use the toilet at about 5.20pm.

“After he was done using the toilet, the accused heard the sound of running water, and realised that someone was showering in the last toilet cubicle,” said DPP Thiam.

“Instead of exiting the toilet, the accused went over to the cubicle, and placed his mobile phone (with the camera setting turned on) over the top of the cubicle door where the unknown man was naked and showering. The accused then took two photographs and one video of the unknown man fully naked and showering, as he was curious as to how men looked like when they showered,” added the prosecutor.

On 3 April, Lau also took videos of himself masturbating at least one other unknown man in a toilet at Jurong Point at about 7.10pm and again at 7.30pm.

Two weeks later, on 16 April, Lau took photos and videos of an unknown man masturbating inside a toilet cubicle at NTU at about 7.15pm.

And on 14 July, at about 9.05pm, Lau recorded a video of a man masturbating another man in a toilet at Jurong Point. The identities of both men are unknown.

The maximum punishment for criminal trespass is up to three months’ jail and a fine of up to $1,500.

For causing alarm by insulting behaviour, Lau can be fined up to $5,000 and jailed up to six months.

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