A Japanese man in Singapore was caught secretly filming up a woman's skirt in a Don Don Donki outlet on Jul. 24, 2021.

Shinsaku Ono, 59, was subsequently arrested and slapped with five charges, including voyeurism, insulting women's modesty, and violating the Films Act.

The Singapore permanent resident pleaded guilty in court on Apr. 25, 2024.

What happened

According to Shin Min Daily News, on the night of Jul. 24, 2021, a 26-year-old man and his girlfriend were shopping at the Don Don Donki outlet in Orchard Central when he realised a suspicious man, Ono, was following his girlfriend closely.

He also noticed that the camera lens of Ono's mobile phone was facing outwards.

He decided to confront Ono after observing him for a while.

The police later arrived on the scene and found that Ono had filmed the buttocks of the woman standing in front of the man's girlfriend. The video also happened to capture the man's girlfriend's legs.

Took 132 upskirt photos and videos of at least 34 victims

Investigations revealed that between 2019 and 2021, Ono secretly took a total of 124 upskirt photos and eight upskirt videos of at least 34 victims.

The police found the deleted files in his phone. They also later discovered that he had used encrypted phone software to store the photos and videos.

Shaves his head to repent

Ono admitted to secretly photographing women wearing tight sportswear.

He confessed that if he noticed a woman's underwear in the video, he would take a screenshot and archive it.

Shin Min reported that Ono bowed and apologised for his actions, pledging not to repeat them.

He said he reflected on how to contribute to Singapore's society and decided to donate money.

He also said that he believes that hair "symbolises desire", as when hair exists, people think about how to cut or dye it.

Therefore, he said, he shaves his head daily to curb his desires and repent.

He pleaded for the judge to hand him a lighter sentence, sharing that he celebrates Singapore's National Day every year and sings Singapore's national anthem to express his love for the country.

The judge sentenced Ono to six months in prison.

Top photos from Mothership & Canva