Doctor jailed for voyeurism, judge rejects defence plea for mandatory treatment order

SINGAPORE: A doctor previously from Sengkang General Hospital was sentenced to eight weeks' jail on Monday (Dec 15) for filming a 31-year-old woman in the shower.

Although an Institute of Mental Health (IMH) report assessed Jonathan Soh Jingyao, 34, as suitable for a mandatory treatment order (MTO) to address his voyeurism disorder, the judge found that jail was more appropriate.

An MTO is a community-based sentence that directs an offender suffering from certain treatable psychiatric conditions to undergo treatment.

Soh had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism, with a second similar charge taken into consideration.

He was accompanied by his wife and friends in court.

Due to a gag order protecting the victim's identity, her relationship with the accused was redacted from court papers, although the prosecution referred to how Soh "breached the relationship of trust" he had with the victim.

At about 6pm on Apr 11, 2024, Soh was in a residential unit with the victim.

When Soh heard the victim showering in the common toilet beside the kitchen, he went to the kitchen and held his phone near a window to record the victim showering.

The victim noticed the phone which pointed at her and shouted.

Soh left and the victim later returned to her bedroom. She did not know who the culprit was and checked the closed-circuit television footage to identify the person.

Soh deleted the video of the victim showering without watching it. He then knocked on her bedroom door, apologising to her and admitting that he was the perpetrator.

The victim told her boyfriend what happened and he called the police.

DEFENCE URGES MTO

On Monday, Soh's lawyer, Mr Jeeva Joethy, urged the court to impose an MTO instead of jail.

He pointed to an IMH report that recommended 18 months' of mandatory treatment, stressing that the psychiatrist who made such a recommendation, Dr Christopher Cheok, is an experienced one and an appointed psychiatrist for the MTO scheme.

Thus, he understands what is required for an MTO to be given, said Mr Jeeva.

He said the report stated that Soh's voyeuristic disorder had a contributing link to his offending.

"My client has been making improvement," said Mr Jeeva, adding that Soh has been seeing a psychiatrist and that his relationship with his wife is "getting better".

He urged the judge to give Soh "one last chance" and issue an MTO.

The judge referred to an earlier report which said the disorder was "mild" and that Soh largely had self-control of his actions.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Xu Sijia argued that the disorder itself does not deprive a person of self-control, as stated in a psychiatric report.

Although Soh claimed to be struggling with his desire to film unsuspecting individuals, Ms Xu said "it remains that he retained self-control to a large extent".

Although the MTO suitability report stated that Soh was suitable for such an order, this does not mean the court must impose it, said Ms Xu.

The judge said that he took into consideration the need for deterrence in such cases, particularly in this case, where the victim was recorded nude.

He pointed also to the "lack of any explanation" in the latest IMH report as to the extent that Soh's psychiatric condition was a contributing factor to his commission of the offence.

He also noted the earlier report that there was a "mild" impairment of Soh's self-control, and that Soh had self-control to a large extent.

In response to queries from CNA, a spokesperson from Sengkang General Hospital said Soh resigned in February 2025.

Soh is still listed as a doctor on the Singapore Medical Council's website. His practising certificate expires at the end of this month.

For voyeurism, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or given a combination of these punishments.