SINGAPORE: A recalcitrant voyeur was jailed again for filming upskirt videos of women, with the court warning him on Friday (Oct 23) that he could face caning if he reoffends.
Gary Huang Kunjie, 41, had been in and out of jail since 2018 for recording upskirt videos or images of women.
On Friday, he pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism for an offence committed in June this year and was sentenced to 28 weeks' jail - a longer term than the prosecution had sought.
On Jun 20, 2026, Huang was on the way home from work when he saw a woman he found attractive.
He followed her onto an escalator at Northpoint City shopping mall in Yishun, then placed his mobile phone under her skirt to record an illicit video.
Huang used the video for his own sexual purposes before deleting it.
He also admitted to filming upskirt videos of unsuspecting women about twice a week between May and June 2026, recording around 20 different victims.
He would watch the videos for his own sexual gratification before deleting them, leaving police unable to recover any of the recordings.
Officers from the Transport Command of the Singapore Police Force detained Huang while conducting an operation at Khatib MRT station on Jul 8, 2026.
Court documents did not state what led to his detention. He was subsequently interviewed by the police.
Huang had been sentenced to jail repeatedly for similar offences, with convictions in each year from 2018 to 2022, as well as in 2025. One of his previous jail terms exceeded 60 weeks.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Muhammad Salihin Salim sought 22 to 25 weeks' jail, arguing that both general and specific deterrence were necessary given the accused's prior convictions for similar offences.
District Judge R Arvindren asked why the prosecution was not seeking caning or corrective training given Huang's lengthy criminal history.
Corrective training is a form of long-term imprisonment for repeat offenders, lasting between five and 14 years.
Mr Salihin said the prosecution did not seek caning as Huang faced only one charge, while maintaining that a jail term of 22 to 25 weeks was appropriate.
The district judge then pressed the prosecution on whether it believed the proposed jail term would be sufficient to deter Huang from reoffending. Mr Salihin said that it would.
However, Judge Arvindren found the prosecution's sentencing position to be on the low end, given that Huang had admitted to illicitly filming women around twice a week.
Turning to Huang, Judge Arvindren asked why the court should not impose caning on him given his repeated offences.
Huang, who was unrepresented, said he was remorseful and regretted his actions, attributing his offences to work-related stress.
"I feel disappointed and sad for myself that I cannot even secure a stable job because I cannot manage my mental wellness well. My stress level is very easily triggered," Huang said.
He said he was still seeking psychiatric help but was unable to cope with the stress from his current employment.
Appearing close to tears, Huang added that he regretted not caring for his elderly parents.
Judge Arvindren expressed concern that Huang would continue reoffending.
"I understand you say you have issues securing a stable job but you have went on to commit the same kind of offence against innocent women in public. How are you going to change after this?" Judge Arvindren asked.
Huang said he needed a job that could keep him busy, but also needed to "slow down" and take on part-time work to "release mentally" and reintegrate into society, or else he would "easily trip and fall".
He accepted that Huang would make genuine efforts to reform but warned him that this was his last chance, and that caning should be considered if he reoffended.
For voyeurism, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given any combination of these penalties.