Normally, people can't see inside a home through a peephole, but some malicious actors are learning on the internet how to use a monocular to do so. Then, not only are these perpetrators able to view the interior, they are also recording images of people in their homes.
Many victims of these Peeping Toms might not realize they are being victimized.
In August last year, a man in Kyoto Prefecture was indicted on a charge of violating the prefectural anti-nuisance ordinance, after he recorded images of a woman changing clothes in her home through the peephole of her apartment in September 2020.
"I learned how to take such images on the internet," the 42-year-old man told The Yomiuri Shimbun in an interview. "I did it to relieve stress."
According to the indictment and the prosecutor's opening statement, the man attached a monocular to the peephole of the woman's door and took videos with a smartphone. He also went to other apartment buildings to look for women to his liking using the same method with the monocular.
In December last year during the trial held in Kyoto District Court, the man explained that he had been peeping into the apartment twice a week, mostly on his way home from work. The woman did not know the man and was not aware of the acts until the prefectural police investigated.
In January, the man was found guilty and sentenced to two years in prison, suspended for four years with probation.
"I got hooked because it was easy to do," he said in the interview. "I'm sorry for what I've done to the victim."
-- Prevention methods
Peepholes employ a system of lenses with a fish-eye lens facing out so people inside the home can see a wide view of the exterior, while at the same time making it difficult to see in from the outside. However, by using a monocular with a similar lens structure, which offsets the refraction of light of a peephole, it becomes possible to see inside from the outside, just as it is through normal glass.
This method has been widely introduced on the internet, causing concerns for the police.
"It's just the tip of the iceberg," a senior police official said. "There is the possibility the number of such victims will increase."
Crime prevention expert Nobuo Komiya, a professor of criminology at Rissho University, said that while studio apartments are easy targets, there are also simple countermeasures.
Metal fittings that attach a cover to the peephole on the inside of the door can be purchased. Recently, doors with these types of covered peepholes pre-installed are becoming more available.
"You can also make use of things readily available, such as by hanging a calendar or putting a magnet over the peephole," Komiya said. "If video footage is posted online, the damage caused could be irreversible, so it's advisable to take measures just in case."
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