A former highschool trainer in California who secretly recorded kids with hidden cameras put in in class loos has been sentenced to 17 and a half years in federal jail, officers stated.
Along with his sentence, Siu Kong Sit, 38, was ordered to be positioned on lifetime supervised launch upon his eventual launch from jail, the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace for the Central District of California stated in a press release on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
Sit, who’s a former trainer at Beckman Excessive Faculty in Irvine, Calif., pleaded responsible on March 29 to 1 depend of possession of kid sexual abuse materials. As a part of his plea settlement, Sit admitted to “knowingly possessing photographs and movies of minors below the age of 12 participating in sexual conduct,” in response to the discharge.
Prosecutors stated Sit started putting in the hidden cameras in loos on the Beckman Excessive Faculty campus in February 2020. He would frequently take a look at the movies and obtain those that have been “of curiosity to him,” the discharge states.
In Could 2022, whereas Sit was working as the highschool robotics crew coach, he put a hidden digicam within the toilet of a Texas lodge room the place underage college students on the robotics crew have been staying for a event.
“From 2020 to 2023, Sit considered and downloaded lots of of photographs of kids and adults, in varied states of undress, utilizing restrooms,” the discharge states.
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In February 2023, after the hidden cameras had been found, authorities seized a number of gadgets and digicam storage drives from Sit’s Rowland Heights, Calif., dwelling. A search of the gadgets revealed “dozens of photographs and movies” of kid sexual abuse materials, together with kids in “varied states of undress” whereas utilizing the lavatory.
“The victims that Sit recorded with out their consent have been below the age of 18, and among the victims have been below the age of 12,” prosecutors stated.
They added {that a} laborious drive owned by Sit contained at the least 22 photographs and one video of “a toddler engaged in sexual exercise” and one other had at the least 150 photographs and 4 movies of kid sexual abuse materials.
“This defendant was each mum or dad’s nightmare – quite than take care of the security and well-being of scholars, he exploited them in probably the most abhorrent approach,” United States Lawyer Martin Estrada stated. “It’s important that we ship a robust message of zero tolerance for many who benefit from kids. My workplace will proceed to prosecute offenders who prey on our youth to the fullest extent allowed by legislation.”
In accordance with the discharge, Sit can be anticipated to face legal prices in Orange County Superior Courtroom relating to the alleged grownup victims recorded by the hidden cameras.
In the event you or somebody has been a sufferer of sexual abuse, textual content “STRENGTH” to the Disaster Textual content Line at 741-741 to be linked to a licensed disaster counselor.