Serial Singapore upskirter admits cutting hole in shoe to take voyeuristic videos of victims

Tham Heng Yew, 31, cut a hole in his shoe and placed his phone inside it to record videos before walking around a railway station and a shopping centre. But he was caught when a victim’s friend spotted his suspicious behaviour and confronted him, causing him to flee in panic.

Tham pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism on Tuesday. The court heard that he was last sentenced to 10 months’ jail in November 2021 for similar offences.

On May 26 this year, Tham said he felt the urge to take voyeuristic videos again and made preparations. He chose a pair of shoes and cut a hole in the left one. He tested the placement of the hole by inserting his spare phone into the modified shoe, with the camera lens facing up.

Tham then placed the footwear into a bag and set off for Jurong East MRT Station, where he slid the phone in the shoe before wearing it.

He walked around filming women, picking his targets before positioning his foot under their skirts. He did so 11 times, taking videos of at least 12 women near the railway station at Jem shopping centre.

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Tham then went to a supermarket and targeted a 29-year-old woman. However, the victim’s friend noticed Tham placing his foot under the victim’s skirt and asked him what he was doing.

Tham panicked and fled, with the victim’s friend giving chase and shouting for Tham to stop. He was eventually detained by a passer-by outside the shopping centre.

He admitted his acts and asked the victim’s friend, who was also a woman, to give him a chance. The woman called the police, who arrested Tham.

Tham told investigators that he had taken the videos despite knowing it was an offence as he was feeling depressed. He said he wanted “to do acts that were thrilling enough to help him to reduce his stress and anxiety”, and he found voyeurism thrilling and felt excited when viewing the videos.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jotham Tay asked for 15 to 18 months’ jail for Tham.

Tham has two previous convictions – in November 2021 and March 2020. The March 2020 conviction included more than a hundred charges.

“Essentially, he has been doing this exact same scheme since 2013,” Tay said. “What we have is an offender who is clearly recalcitrant. The gap in time between the reoffending behaviour is also short.”

Tay said Tham would have been released from his latest jail term of 10 months in mid-2022, which meant he reoffended after about a year.

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Tay said the crime was premeditated, as Tham had to cut a hole in his shoe and make sure the camera could record videos through the hole.

In mitigation, Tham, who was unrepresented, said he was very remorseful.

“Like what was mentioned, actually I was going through a very rough time for the past at least five years because of this voyeuristic disorder that I’m facing,” he said.

“Ever since that day, I’ve been struggling with regrets and I wish that I had done something else instead to cope with my emotions.”

He said he would accept the consequences, but planned to ask for a psychologist during his sentence.

“When I’m out, I plan on seeking treatment as I really do not wish for this issue to linger any longer than it already has, as it has affected my life very negatively,” said Tham. “I wish to change and not offend any more.”

The judge asked for further submissions on sentencing and adjourned the case to December.