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SINGAPORE — A National University of Singapore (NUS) student allegedly trespassed into a women’s toilet at a residential hall on two occasions earlier this year, in order to take photos of female students showering.

Ryan You Jun Chao, 25, is accused of doing so on Feb 14 at about 7.15am, and on March 5 at about 2.15am. He has since been suspended by the university.

The Singaporean was first charged on Oct 30 with two counts each of criminal trespass and insulting a woman’s modesty. He returned to a district court on Wednesday (Dec 11) for a further mention of the case.

His lawyer told the court that he intends to plead guilty to the charges on Jan 20 next year. 

If convicted of criminal trespass, he could be jailed up to three months, fined up to S$1,500, or both. If convicted of insulting a woman’s modesty, he could be jailed up to a year, fined or both.

The female students and the name of the hall cannot be named due to a court order to protect their identities.

An NUS spokesperson told TODAY that support and assistance was immediately offered to the victims as soon as the university learned of the incidents. 

A “no-contact order” has been imposed on You, the spokesperson said. This means that he is not allowed to contact the alleged victims.

Apart from the suspension, a disciplinary board has imposed a deferment of graduation and mandatory counselling and rehabilitation sessions on You. These will be part of his formal education record at the university.

Court records showed that You's application to travel overseas for a holiday with his girlfriend and her family later this month was approved last month.

ALLEGED OFFENCES TOOK PLACE BEFORE 

You’s alleged offences were committed before an incident involving Ms Monica Baey catapulted the issue of campus voyeurism into the national spotlight. She was filmed showering at a hall in NUS last November.

The NUS spokesperson said that the two purported incidents involving You happened before the university imposed tougher sanctions in June for sexual misconduct on campus.

The sanctions now include:

• A minimum one-year suspension for serious offences

• Expulsion for serious offences

• Offenders receiving a notation of the disciplinary action on their university transcript and certification from a counsellor or a medical professional, or both, before they are allowed to return to campus after their suspension

In the wake of Ms Baey case, NUS also covered gaps in shower cubicles, increased the number of security guards at hostels and started installing new locks on hostel restroom entrances. It also set up a Victim Care Unit in August to help students who have encountered some form of sexual misconduct.