A teacher who was jailed for secretly filming high school students’ upskirts will be released from prison after a judge overturned his conviction on appeal.
Eric Wong, 29, was jailed in July for at least six months after taking 90 videos and 300 photos of students in his class at Cammeraygal High School in the affluent suburb of Crows Nest on Sydney’s north shore. a period of two years.
Overturning his conviction in Sydney’s Downing Center District Court on Thursday, Judge John North said Wong suffered from a voyeurism disorder which would be better treated in the community rather than in prison.
Judge North said while it was “not an easy thing”, he came to the conclusion that given the time already served, Wong’s mental health issues remained “unresolved” and required attention. particular.
Eric Wong, 29, was jailed in July for at least six months after taking 90 videos and 300 photos of students in his class at Cammeraygal High School in the affluent suburb of Crows Nest on Sydney’s North Shore. a period of two years.
“The effect on his life was profound,” the judge said. “He lost his job, of course, and he can never get back to it,” Judge North said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“His four-year relationship ended.
“No matter what I do, people will be harmed because of the breach of trust and the manner in which these crimes were committed.”
Wong will be subject to an Intensive Corrections Order, which requires him to be of good behavior and accept treatment deemed appropriate by Community Corrections.
Wong was sentenced after pleading guilty at Hornsby Local Court to two counts of filming a person’s private parts without their consent.
Court documents at that hearing said a 16-year-old girl became suspicious when she dropped a cell phone from its hiding place and “formed the opinion… (that) it had been deliberately placed in a high position and filmed it.
After students filed complaints with school police, police seized hundreds of voyeuristic images from students that were in Wong’s possession.
Judge North said Wong had “grossly” breached the confidence of the young women in his care.
Cammeraygal High School where a student noticed a device belonging to Wong that was geared to film voyeuristic images
Wong was jailed after pleading guilty to two charges of filming a person’s private parts without their consent.
Wong’s lawyer, Peter Givorshner, told the court that the original sentence did not take into account his autism spectrum disorder and voyeurism disorder, both of which diminished his moral culpability.
Mr Givorshner argued that autistic people were “wired differently” and that the sentencing magistrate was wrong to say Wong must have known his conduct was “completely inappropriate”.
Mr Givorshner said voyeurism disorder could be treated in the community.
He argued that his client had already been publicly humiliated due to the “intense media coverage” of the case, which would affect all of his future prospects, including finding other employment.