Man arrested over hidden pinhole cameras in Sha Tin gym changing room

Police have arrested a Hong Kong man on suspicion of installing hidden pinhole cameras in a commercial gym’s changing room.

The 34-year-old suspect, surnamed Fung, was arrested on Sunday after a staff member at 24/7 Fitness Shatin in Lek Yuen Estate noticed the cameras and filed a police report, according to a police brief.

The case has been classified as voyeurism — an offence that carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison — and passed on to the Shatin District Crime Unit for investigation.

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, 24/7 Fitness said that it was aware police had arrested a man in connection with the incident at its Shatin Fun City location and expressed gratitude for their swift action, adding that the company will continue to assist with the investigation.

Stepped up checks

To ensure patrons’ safety, the gym chain has suspended the suspect’s membership and provided information requested by the police.

It said that it has a zero-tolerance policy for any acts that violate member privacy and apologised to affected members.

The statement also said that the company has implemented new procedures and stepped up checks across all branches.

New equipment has been installed to inspect hidden areas in showers, changing rooms, and restrooms “to ensure members can use the facilities safely and with peace of mind,” it said.

According to the police brief, officers received the report at around 5pm on Friday and discovered three cameras upon arriving at the scene. The suspect was arrested two days later on Sunday.

A Threads user who said he was a member at the gym posted a video of the hidden camera taped to the ceiling on Saturday, saying that he had also filed a police report.

The video shows what appears to be a pinhole camera with a ribbon cable taped to a removable ceiling panel with black electrical tape.

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James Lee is a reporter at Hong Kong Free Press with an interest in culture and social issues. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Journalism from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he witnessed the institution’s transformation over the course of the 2019 extradition bill protests and after the passing of the Beijing-imposed security law.

Since joining HKFP in 2023, he has covered local politics, the city’s housing crisis, as well as landmark court cases including the 47 democrats national security trial. He was previously a reporter at The Standard where he interviewed pro-establishment heavyweights and extensively covered the Covid-19 pandemic and Hong Kong’s political overhauls under the national security law.