Court records show that Saanich police observed Canada’s most prolific voyeur, Yin Yeung Derek Chan, walking into businesses with a phone in hand and violating his bail conditions for over a month without intervening. According to a Crown lawyer, Chan was under police surveillance while actively searching for victims in places like Fitness World and a Value Village thrift store in downtown Victoria, B.C., where he had previously recorded hundreds of women and girls. Chan was eventually convicted of voyeurism and child pornography charges, involving at least 652 women and girls in Greater Victoria, and sentenced to four and a half years in jail. Courtroom submissions, victim impact statements, and interviews have raised questions about why police allowed him to continue hunting for victims. Following his initial arrest in April 2024, Chan was released on bail with a strict condition prohibiting him from using a cellphone outside his home. Despite this, police observed him using cellphones in public on multiple occasions between late December 2024 and late January 2025 before he was finally re-arrested on January 30, 2025. Crown lawyer Paul Cheeseman stated in court that Chan was out looking for more victims in the exact locations where his previous offenses occurred. Saanich police did not respond to specific questions from CBC News, but Deputy Chief Constable Damian Kowalewich stated that the department utilized a trauma-informed approach aimed at protecting victim privacy and avoiding further harm.
Source: cbc.ca
