Malaysian man charged after 'hiding a camera in a first-class bathroom' on a United Airlines flight which was discovered by a female passenger
- A Malaysian man was arrested and charged after he allegedly installed a camera in a first-class bathroom on board a United Airlines Flight
- The device was found by a female passenger who gave it to airline staff
- The incident occurred on a United Airlines flight 646 from San Diego to Houston
- Officials reviewed the footage and identified Choon Ping Lee as a suspect
- He is believed to be the first ever person charged with video voyeurism on board an aircraft
A Malaysian man was arrested this week after he allegedly installed a camera in a first-class bathroom on board a United Airlines Flight which was found by a female passenger.
Choon Ping Lee was charged with video voyeurism 'within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction' of the United States over the May 5 incident, KTRK reported.
It occurred on a United Airlines flight 646 from San Diego to Houston, which was bound for George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
The station reported that a first class passenger from Houston went to use the bathroom and spotted equipment which was emitting a blue light.
The woman took the device to the flight crew, and they turned it over to officials at George Bush International Airport.
A Malaysian man was charged with video voyeurism after he installed a camera in a first-class bathroom on board a United Airlines Flight
Security at the airport later discovered that the piece of equipment was for video recording, according to the KTRK.
They later viewed footage from the device and saw a man installing it in the bathroom in first class on the same flight.
Federal agents managed to identify clothing and jewelry with specific details which were worn by the male passenger.
He was wearing jeans and a short-sleeved shirt with the letters 'NJC' on the back.
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FBI San Diego had video footage of all passengers boarding the United Airlines flight 646 and were later able to identify the suspect in cooperation with Houston Police.
He was identified as Choon Ping Lee, a native of Malaysia who works for Halliburton, and they also confirmed that he was sitting in first class on United flight 646.
KTRK reported that the FBI also uncovered deleted files on the device. Two more women were caught on camera after the device was installed in another airplane bathroom.
Those files were from an Emirates flight, and one of the victims was wearing an Emirates flight crew uniform, according to officials.
A female passenger noticed a device emitting a blinking blue light on board the flight and gave it to flight attendants, who handed it over to George Bush Intercontinental Airport United Airlines Corporate Security
FBI San Diego had video footage of all passengers boarding the United Airlines flight 646 and were later able to identify the suspect in cooperation with Houston Police
Court documents seen by KTRK reveal that the FBI then got in touch with Halliburton. The company gave them Lee's travel information and that he flew Emirates for work.
Halliburton provided a picture of Lee, who was wearing a watch and bracelet that matched the jewelry seen on footage from the the flight on May 5.
In a statement issued to KTRK, Halliburton said: 'Halliburton is aware of the situation and is cooperating with the FBI and U.S. Attorney's office in their investigation.
'We have a robust Code of Business Conduct and expect every employee to abide by the standards contained in the Code and all applicable laws.'
Lee could face up to a year in prison, a fine, or both if he is convicted. He was charged with video voyeurism aboard an aircraft, a law that was added to the U.S. code in 2004.
The Houston Chronicle reported that Lee is the first person ever arrested under the law in the 15 years it was enacted.
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