A 15-year-old girl wearing a school uniform was unknowingly followed and filmed by a man at the Mayfair Shopping Centre. The man used his cellphone to capture footage up the girl’s skirt as she shopped for shoes at Foot Locker. Additional videos revealed the man stalking a pregnant woman and her child at an H&M store in the Uptown shopping mall, and filming a semi-undressed woman through her bedroom window.
The man, residing in Saanich, B.C., admitted to uploading images and videos of at least 652 women and girls on adult websites. This was deemed by B.C. Provincial Court Judge Lisa Mrozinski as one of the most severe cases of voyeurism in Canada, causing immeasurable harm to the victims. The judge highlighted the significant impact on the victims during a sentencing hearing in Victoria on May 21.
Yin Yeung Derek Chan, the perpetrator, was sentenced to 4.5 years in prison for voyeurism and producing child sexual exploitation material. However, he will serve approximately 2.5 years after receiving credit for time served pre-trial. The court revealed that Chan filmed hundreds of victims without their consent, amassing thousands of photos and over 28 hours of video, primarily for his own gratification.
Despite calls from authorities for more information on the locations of the recordings, Saanich police have not provided additional details. However, specific locations were mentioned in court, including retail establishments at the Mayfair and Uptown shopping malls. The victims, including women and children, were secretly filmed over six years at various places in Greater Victoria.
Out of the numerous victims, only 36 had been identified prior to the sentencing, with 64 appearing to be under 18 years old. Most of the images involving minors were upskirt photos, some linked to a local private boarding school. Chan’s criminal activities persisted even while he was on bail, further raising concerns about his behavior.
Chan’s online content garnered over a million views, causing severe distress to many victims. Some individuals reported feeling violated, exposed, and powerless, leading to emotional and psychological challenges. Despite Chan’s claims of remorse, the judge expressed skepticism about his true intentions and level of insight into his actions. Saanich police are actively working to identify more victims and have urged anyone who may have been affected to come forward.
