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Teacher jailed for recording videos of colleague expressing breast milk
The police found the videos while investigating Wang Xianglin for recording upskirt videos of another colleague who was pregnant. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Nadine Chua
UPDATED
SEP 16, 2024, 09:33 PM
SINGAPORE - A secondary school physical education teacher has been sentenced to seven months’ jail for recording voyeuristic videos of two female colleagues.
While Wang Xianglin, 36, was being investigated for recording upskirt videos of a pregnant colleague, the police found that he had also recorded videos of another colleague expressing breast milk in the school’s nursing room.
Wang pleaded guilty on Sept 16 to two voyeurism charges. His wife, who is also his bailor, turned up in court with him.
The victims, aged 30 and 34, were employed as teachers at the school during the time of his offences in 2021 and 2022. They and their school cannot be named due to a gag order to protect their identities.
The 30-year-old teacher who discovered a camera under her table, identified in court documents as the first victim, was in her third trimester of pregnancy at the time of Wang’s offence against her.
Wang admitted that he wanted to take upskirt videos of her after noticing that she had worn a short dress to work in February 2022, Deputy Public Prosecutor Tay Jia En said.
To do so, he used duct tape to secure the recording device under the victim’s table in the staff room.
Later that day, when the victim rested her legs on a stool under her table, she felt a “rectangular device” that was not there previously.
She reached underneath her table, discovered the recording device and informed the school authorities.
The prosecutor said the recording device captured at least 17 minutes of video footage.
In her victim impact statement to the police, the first victim said she had “slight trauma from this whole ordeal” and has since become wary of her male colleagues.
She also said that as she was in her third trimester of pregnancy at the time, the incident made it even tougher for her to manage her emotions and well-being.
As part of their investigations, the police seized Wang’s mobile phone, on which they found photos of the second victim expressing breast milk in the school’s nursing room.
It turned out that on at least three occasions in 2021, Wang had placed a recording device in the room and recorded videos of the colleague expressing breast milk.
Wang managed to capture the videos by putting a recording device inside a green plastic bag situated in the nursing room.
He admitted that he viewed the videos on his mobile phone for his “own personal viewing pleasure”, said DPP Tay, adding that the victim was completely unaware that she had been filmed.
Seeking six to nine months’ jail, the DPP said there was significant premeditation and planning involved in Wang’s offences.
He added that the offences were committed in a workplace setting, which breached a relationship of trust.
In mitigation, defence lawyer Gino Hardial Singh, who sought five months’ jail, said his client is deeply remorseful for his actions and is seeking treatment.
“Wang’s rehabilitative efforts are supported by his loving wife. His daughter, who turns three this November, inspires him to become a better person and live a life on the straight and narrow,” said the lawyer.
In response to The Straits Times’ queries, a Ministry of Education (MOE) spokesman said Wang was suspended from duty in February 2022 and is no longer teaching in any school.
MOE has commenced internal disciplinary proceedings on the case, added the spokesman.
“MOE takes a serious view of staff misconduct and will not hesitate to take disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to our standards of conduct and discipline, including dismissal from service,” he said.
Those found guilty of voyeurism can be jailed for up to two years, fined and/or caned.
