Taipei coffee shop owner indicted over hidden camera recordings of women

Taipei, May 8 (CNA) A Taipei coffee shop owner was indicted Friday for allegedly using hidden cameras to secretly film women at his café, his apartment and accommodations he stayed at in Taiwan and overseas.

The Shilin District Prosecutors Office said the male suspect, surnamed Hsu (徐), owner of a café in Taipei's Datong District, was charged with offenses against sexual privacy following a lengthy investigation into his alleged use of pinhole cameras to record female victims without their consent.

The investigation, conducted with assistance from the Taipei City Police Department's Datong Precinct, led authorities to search Hsu's coffee shop and several other locations in June 2025. Officers seized electronic devices including smartphones, iPads, laptops, memory storage devices and hidden cameras.

According to prosecutors, Hsu installed pinhole cameras disguised as everyday items such as fragrance canisters and electric shavers at both his coffee shop and rented apartment.

While prosecutors did not specify the exact locations of the devices, local media reported that cameras had been installed in bathrooms at the café and Hsu's residence to film women using the toilet.

Authorities said Hsu stored videos capturing victims' intimate moments without their knowledge or permission.

Prosecutors also alleged that Hsu placed hidden recording devices in commercial accommodations, including hotels and "minsu" bed-and-breakfast lodgings, during trips around Taiwan and overseas, including visits to Tokyo and Seoul.

Investigators identified more than 20 victims and said Hsu duplicated and stored the recordings across multiple memory devices.