Medical doctoral student gets 160 hours of community service for upskirting

A 30-year-old medical doctoral student who was caught taking upskirt photos of a woman last September was sentenced to 160 hours of community service on Monday.

The defendant, Tian Tian, had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts.

The court heard that Tian used his mobile phone to take upskirt photographs of a 34-year-old woman, referred to as “X,” while the two were on an escalator at Uptown Plaza in Tai Po on September 23, 2025.

A passerby alerted the victim, who then checked Tian’s phone and found five upskirt images before reporting the matter to police. Tian later admitted he had acted on impulse.

During sentencing at Fanling Magistrates’ Courts, the defense sought leniency, citing a positive probation report that described Tian as generally disciplined.

The court was told that both Tian’s mother and wife spoke highly of him, and that the offense was out of character.

Passing sentence, Acting Principal Magistrate Veronica Heung Shuk-han took into account the defendant’s guilty plea and steps taken toward rehabilitation, but stressed the seriousness of the offense and noted that it could warrant a custodial sentence.

She ultimately imposed a 160-hour community service order.