Former HDB director gets jail, fine after secretly filming nude men in locker rooms

SINGAPORE - A former director with the Housing Board (HDB) was on Friday (Sept 9) sentenced to two weeks' jail and a fine of $31,600 after he unlawfully used his mobile phone to record videos of naked men at places including locker rooms.

Leo Norman Chee Wei Kiong, 61, who was a civil servant for more than 35 years, pleaded guilty last month to six charges for offences that include the filming of obscene footage and possession of obscene films.

Another eight charges were considered during sentencing.

The Straits Times understands that Chee used to be a housing finance director at HDB.

In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Colin Ng told the court that Chee was in a male locker room of an unknown Safra clubhouse in April 2012 when he took two images of a man who was clad in only his underwear.

Chee was again in a male locker room of an unknown Safra clubhouse in January 2013 when he took five images of another man who was then changing his clothes. The man had his genitals exposed at the time.

In December 2017, Chee recorded a minute-long video of a naked man identified only as "Billy", when they were at Chee's apartment.

On one occasion in December 2018, Chee recorded a 25-second video of a naked man in a men's locker room at Safra Mount Faber in Telok Blangah Way.

DPP Ng said Chee recorded another nude video of Billy on Sept 25, 2019.

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In October 2020, Chee saw a man, whom he thought was attractive, at a Kallang Bahru supermarket.

He used his mobile phone to film the man, who caught him doing so.

A commotion ensued and a supermarket employee alerted the police.

Chee admitted to filming the man and agreed to delete the clip.

As the man inspected Chee's phone to ensure the footage was removed, he saw several obscene videos of naked men.

The man later told the police about what he had seen and officers seized the device.

DPP Ng had said: "(Chee) admitted to having a habit of using his mobile phone to film and take pictures of men he considered attractive. This took place in public places, gyms and the communal changing rooms of gyms."

The phone was later found to contain 146 obscene films, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Shashi Nathan earlier sought for no more than a week's jail for Chee.

He said his client was a high-ranking civil servant who resigned to spare the statutory board of any embarrassment.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.