A 39-year-old off-duty police officer has been convicted of one count of illegally filming or observing intimate parts after an incident on an escalator at Lai King Station. He denied the charge. The case was heard at Shatin Magistrates’ Courts.
The complainant testified that she felt a hard object touch the back of her knee as she rode the escalator. She turned and saw the officer holding a phone; she said it was raised to the hem of her skirt. A male passenger stopped him, according to the court reports.
The magistrate found the complainant’s evidence clear, honest and credible, noting that she did not know the officer. CCTV showed her suddenly turning, consistent with her account. Footage also showed the officer behind her, looking back before bending and leaning slightly forward.
The defence said no photographs had been found on the officer’s phone. But CCTV showed him repeatedly pressing it for at least 12 seconds after he was stopped. The magistrate considered it highly likely he was deleting images or records. The magistrate said the inference was that the officer had operated the phone to film intimate parts.
The officer was remanded, and sentencing was adjourned to 17 November while the court obtains a community service order report and a background report. The magistrate said a custodial sentence would be considered.