Jail for man who took screenshots of girlfriend showering during video call, sent them to her husband

SINGAPORE: A man who took nude pictures of a woman he was having an affair with later threatened to send these images to other people if she broke up with him.

After their relationship ended, he sent the nudes to her friends and her husband on Facebook, in a bid to get her to speak to him again.

He also created a fake Facebook profile using the victim's photo, and posted her nudes on it - along with photos of another woman whom the victim had entered a new romantic relationship with.

The 39-year-old man was sentenced to 21 months and 15 weeks' jail on Tuesday (Dec 20).

A gag order imposed by the court forbids publication of anything that might lead to the identification of the victim.

The man had earlier pleaded guilty to three charges of distributing voyeuristic images and threatening to distribute intimate images, with another two charges taken into consideration.

FIVE FAKE FACEBOOK ACCOUNTS

The court heard that the offender was in a relationship with the victim from July 2019 to January 2021.

Towards the end of their relationship, they video-called each other on their phones while the victim was showering.

Without the victim's knowledge, the offender took screenshots on his phone showing the victim's naked body.

Around January 2021, the relationship between the pair deteriorated. They began quarrelling, with the offender threatening to send nudes of the victim to others if she broke up with him.

They broke up that same month, but the offender wanted to get back with the victim. The victim refused to communicate with him.

In a bid to pressure the victim to communicate with him, the offender sent messages directly to her close friends and relatives.

He then sent her nudes to her husband and two friends. Using Facebook messenger, the offender told them to get the victim to respond to him - or else he would further distribute the nudes on the Internet.

The man's actions caused humiliation, alarm and distress to the victim; and also alarmed and distressed the victim's husband and two friends, the court heard.

The trio did not help the offender communicate with the victim.

After failing in this attempt, the offender created five Facebook accounts under fake names to get the victim's attention and compel her to talk to him.

He also wanted to suggest to the victim's relatives and acquaintances that she might engage in sexual activities with another woman who was her new romantic partner.

For one of the accounts, the offender used the victim's photo as a profile picture, so that her friends and relatives would think it was her and accept friend requests.

From May 4, 2021, the offender posted photos of the victim on this Facebook profile. They included clothed photos, nude photos of her with emojis obscuring her private parts as well as photos of her new girlfriend.

The display setting for the photos was set to "Public" so that anyone could view them.

In one post, the offender arranged one of the victim's nude photos beside a photo of the victim with her new girlfriend.

He then used a separate Facebook account to leave a derogatory comment on the post, suggesting that the victim might engage in intimate acts with her girlfriend.  

The victim lodged a police report on May 9, 2021.

The prosecutor called for at least 24 months and 15 weeks' jail. He said general deterrence was needed, especially with Parliament creating new offences to tackle the increasingly widespread practice of distributing or threatening to distribute intimate images and recordings.

The offender had posted the photos in a manner that facilitated wide, uncontrolled and long-lasting circulation of the voyeuristic photos, he said.

As of October 2021, three Facebook accounts which the offender had used to post the victim's nudes were still online. The victim's face was visible in the photos.

The man had taken these screenshots surreptitiously and offended for a long period of time with "malice", said the prosecutor.