An Ontario judge recently sentenced a former international student to 5.5 months in jail for voyeurism after he spied on female housemates through a peep hole. Aswin V. Sajeevan, a 20-year-old Indian citizen on a student visa, pleaded guilty to four counts of voyeurism. The Ontario Court of Justice heard that he lived with 11 others in a Barrie home and recorded videos of four women in various states of undress over six months.

Justice Craig A. Brannagan acknowledged the potential immigration consequences of Sajeevan's actions during sentencing. He stated, "I accept, and have considered, that there may be serious collateral immigration consequences for Mr. Sajeevan because of his criminal conduct." The judge noted that the appropriate sentence for the offenses would typically range from six months to a year in custody. However, he opted for a shorter sentence after considering the implications for Sajeevan's immigration status.

Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a foreign national can be deemed inadmissible if sentenced to more than six months in jail. Brannagan emphasized that while immigration consequences are not mitigating factors, they are relevant to the offender's personal circumstances. He stated, "Considering collateral consequences is mandatory, not optional."

The court learned that Sajeevan's bedroom was adjacent to a laundry room next to a bathroom primarily used by the women in the house. In March 2025, one of the female tenants discovered Sajeevan crouched in the laundry room, peering through the peep hole while one of the women was using the bathroom. When confronted, Sajeevan initially denied wrongdoing, claiming he was searching for his earbuds. However, he later admitted to watching his housemates through the hole.

The peep hole had been patched multiple times but was uncovered repeatedly, raising suspicions among the housemates. Sajeevan's behavior had been noted by others, as he was often seen entering the laundry room shortly after the women used the bathroom. He works as a line cook and had attended college in Canada for computer programming but was suspended due to a low GPA.

In a pre-sentence report, Sajeevan expressed that his curiosity led him to look through the peep hole, which he described as exciting but ultimately felt guilty about. His father, a police constable in India, confirmed that voyeurism is a criminal offense there as well. One of the victims reported that the incident has caused her intense fear and anxiety, leading her to avoid using public restrooms.