JC student who regularly visited NUS campus to look at women given probation for peeping offence
SINGAPORE — A junior college student who had a habit of cycling to a university campus to look at female students weekly was given one year and nine months’ probation on Monday (30 March), after he admitted to peeping at a woman in one of the school’s toilets.
Zachary Lim Yong Hao, 18, has since finished his education and is waiting to enlist in national service. As part of his probation, Lim will have to keep to a curfew, perform 120 hours of community service and attend a behavioural treatment programme.
His parents have also put up a bond of $5,000 as a guarantee for Lim’s good behaviour.
Lim pleaded guilty on 27 February to one count each of trespass and of insulting the modesty of a woman while two charges of a similar nature were taken into consideration for sentencing.
Formed a habit
In January last year, Lim was travelling on a bus from Choa Chu Kang to Sentosa when he felt the urge to urinate. He alighted at University Town at the National University of Singapore to use the toilet.
After relieving himself, he saw a female student entering a toilet. He found the female student attractive and followed her.
After this incident, Lim developed a habit of visiting NUS’ University Town almost every Sunday to look at female students. He would cycle there and walk around the campus observing girls.
On 17 March, Lim made a visit for the same purpose. At about 3.41 pm, he entered a female toilet and occupied the first cubicle.
At about 4.35pm, a 22-year-old female student entered the neighbouring cubicle and was shocked to see Lim peeping down at her from over the partition after she had relieved herself.
The women fled and returned later with a friend some 25 minutes later. They noticed that the first cubicle was locked, and suspected that Lim was still inside.
They tried knocking on the cubicle door but there was no response. They then proceeded to the security office to alert the campus security officers of the matter.
At about 5.40pm, the victim returned to the toilet with the officers but Lim had left by that time.
Lim admitted to peeping over the partition and later masturbating.
Campus security officers caught Lim red-handed on 5 May, after spotting him on CCTV cameras loitering suspiciously outside a female toilet. When two officers arrived at the toilet, they found one cubicle door locked.
They demanded that the person using the cubicle open the door, but Lim – who was inside – refused to. He eventually relented to the officers’ demands.
Lim had initially denied any wrongdoing, and insisted that he had entered the toilet by mistake. However, he confessed to his actions and later stated that he would get an adrenaline rush whenever he entered a female toilet.
For insulting the modesty of a woman, Lim could have been jailed up to a year, fined, or both. For criminal trespass he could have been jailed up to 3 months, fined up to $1,500, or both.
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