3 formally detained for alleged cosmetic surgery privacy violations

New Taipei, May 8 (CNA) The New Taipei District Court agreed late Thursday to a motion by prosecutors to detain three people involved with cosmetic chain Airlee Group Co., Ltd. after a recording device was found inside a smoke detector at the company's Banqiao branch.

At the detention hearing Thursday night, the court ruled that Airlee Chairman Chang Ju-shan (常如山), a special assistant surnamed Chang (張), and a supplier surnamed Hsieh (謝) should be detained and held incommunicado.

The court reached its conclusion after finding that the three individuals posed flight risks or could collude with accomplices or witnesses, or destroy, forge or alter evidence.

Prosecutors said a fourth suspect, a general manager surnamed Liu (劉), did not need to be detained and was released on bail of NT$5 million (US$156,000), with restrictions on overseas travel and leaving Taiwan.

The suspects in the case are believed to have committed sexual privacy violations, offenses against privacy, and violations of the Child and Youth Sexual Exploitation Prevention Act by filming customers without their consent.

On Wednesday, the New Taipei City Prosecutors Office instructed police to search four Airlee branches in the city, including those in Banqiao, Xinzhuang, Linkou and Yonghe.

The three main suspects were initially taken in for questioning that day before prosecutors filed motions to formally detain them.

Negotiating compensation

Some customers at Airlee's Banqiao branch formed a self-help group and gathered outside the clinic on Thursday to negotiate refund terms and compensation procedures.

Several customers said the incident had affected their personal lives and work, indicating that they had suffered insomnia and emotional distress out of fear that footage of them could be leaked.

Airlee said in a Facebook post on Thursday that customers seeking refunds would need to apply online and visit the clinic in person with documentation for verification.

According to the company, refunds would apply only to unused treatment sessions, with no deductions for complimentary items and no administrative fees charged.

One customer, identified by the alias Irene, said the alleged hidden-camera incident was horrifying and that she could not accept having been filmed without her knowledge.

During negotiations, customers demanded that Airlee not include clauses requiring victims to waive their right to sue.

The New Taipei City government's Legislative Research Bureau said in a news release that a consumer ombudsman would accept complaints and assist consumers in mediation proceedings. Officials said they had received 57 complaints as of Friday morning.

Accepting complaints

The developments followed a Threads post on May 1 in which a customer said she noticed a smoke detector that appeared to hide a recording device. Though clinic staff insisted it was only a smoke detector, she reported it to police.

When she returned with officers, they opened the device and found a recording unit connected to a power source.

• Cosmetic surgery chain chairman detained over pinhole camera allegations

Police detained Hsieh in Taichung on Sunday and alleged that he had driven from Taipei to remove recording devices installed at 10 branches at someone else's direction.

Prosecutors said they had found multiple videos of alleged victims from the main recording system and cameras they seized.

Traces of a removed surveillance camera were also found on the ceiling of one branch in Kaohsiung, while another branch in the city had a functioning surveillance camera in a treatment room, the Kaohsiung City Health Bureau said in a press release Wednesday.

As of Friday morning, more than 10 people had filed police reports in connection with the case, the New Taipei authorities said.