SIBU: A 29-year-old man was sentenced to 14 days in jail and fined RM4,000 by the Magistrate’s Court here today after he was found guilty of secretly recording a young woman while she was bathing in a shophouse bathroom.
The accused, Tohmas Renga Rabing, from Sebakong Mukah, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Oon Kork Chern to a charge under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which covers offences involving words or gestures intended to insult the modesty of a person. The offence carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.
According to the charge sheet, the incident took place on October 7, around 7.10pm, at a shophouse bathroom located on Jalan Ding Lik Kong, Sibu.
Investigations revealed that the 19-year-old victim was taking a shower when she noticed someone filming her using a smartphone through a small opening. Shocked and frightened, she screamed and immediately called for her father, who was in another room at the time.
Her father rushed over and forcefully kicked open the door to an adjacent toilet, where he found the accused—who was a tenant living in the same building—holding a smartphone. When confronted, the man reportedly told the victim’s father that he would delete the video before fleeing the scene.
Following a police report, Tohmas was arrested on October 11 at a premises in Lorong Wawasan 9A, where police seized his smartphone for investigation. Although the suspect claimed he had deleted the video, a forensic search revealed the device contained several pornographic clips, but not the video of the victim.
During a cam parade identification session, the victim confidently identified the accused as the man who had recorded her.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Keshava Rao Tharma Raja led the prosecution, while the accused appeared unrepresented.
The court emphasised that such actions are a serious invasion of privacy and warned that similar offences will be met with firm punishment to protect the dignity and safety of women.
