A perverted Vietnamese medical student has been spared a conviction for upskirting women for a third time, sparking global fury and calls for his deportation.
Billionaire X owner Elon Musk is among those who have weighed in after Bao Phuc Cao, 23, walked from from Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday despite admitting taking photos of 150 in Melbourne showers and toilets, at one point telling police he was in the female toilets because he was “unsure of his gender”.
The Melbourne University student, who may be able to continue his studies and become a doctor due to his lack of convictions, was given a 12-month adjourned undertaking requiring good behaviour and compliance with his previous community corrections order.
Cao was last year spared jail and convictions twice over the same string of offending, and his lawyers last week asked for no conviction to be recorded again as the offending was included in conduct he had previously been sentenced for, which was not opposed by the prosecution.
Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz took into account Cao’s guilty plea, youth and lack of family in Australia, the Australian Associated Press reported, but the decision was slammed on social media.
Deport the judge
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 13, 2026
OMG. International student in Australia escaped conviction THREE TIMES despite pleading GUILTY to filming women in the WOMEN’s bathroom.
When confronted by police, Bao Cao said he was in the women’s room because he was gay.
Now he’s a free man once again.
WTF is happening in… pic.twitter.com/Roq3nrnWia
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 13, 2026
“He told police he was in the female toilets because “he wasn’t sure about his gender…”
It’s literally the get out of jail free card for sexual predator men. https://t.co/T15hj088QE
— Sall Grover (@salltweets) March 13, 2026
“He filmed 150 Australian women in toilets. Zero conviction. Judge didn’t want to deport him,” wrote political commentator and activist Drew Pavlou.
“Deport the judge,” Musk replied.
Musk also replied to other posts about the case, writing “shame on her” in response to a post about the magistrate, and “that’s what it is” in a quote post by Sall Grover, the founder of women’s social network app Giggle.
“‘He told police he was in the female toilets because “he wasn’t sure about his gender”…’ It’s literally the get out of jail free card for sexual predator men.” Ms Grover wrote.
In a reply to a 7News video she wrote: “In Australia, there is more punishment for a woman creating a female only space than there is for a man secretly filming 150 women in what should be a female only space.”
Many others called for Cao’s deportation in response to the 7News and 9News reports on the sentence.
“The once noble Western fixation on rehabilitation is destroying the spirit of justice,” wrote political commentator and activist Hugo Lennon.
They gave him a 12-month good behaviour bond meaning no conviction or jail time. This is normally reserved for youth to avoid lifelong impacts but here it seems to help avoid deportation.”
The once noble Western fixation on rehabilitation is destroying the spirit of justice.
They gave him a 12-month good behaviour bond meaning no conviction or jail time. This is normally reserved for youth to avoid lifelong impacts but here it seems to help avoid deportation. https://t.co/15nMCEKdHU
— auspill (@aus_pill) March 13, 2026
Foreigner here in Australia as a STUDENT, busted filming potentially up to 150 WOMEN in toilets leaves court with NO CONVICTION and can now chase a dream of being a Doctor….
Australia isn’t a serious country.
DEPORT THIS PIECE OF SHT
— Mickamious (@MickamiousG) March 13, 2026
Reporters asked Cao outside court if he was still unsure of his gender, but he did not comment as he covered his face and refused to answer questions.
Cao was first arrested for filming a woman at RoomingKos student accommodation in the city’s CBD after his victim saw his mobile phone under her shower cubicle. Police then found hundreds of photos and videos of up to 150 other women.
Cao was charged and pleaded guilty, but was spared a conviction, ordered to complete a sex offenders program, and given a Community Corrections Order.
He was then arrested again for the Docklands offending, again pleaded guilty, and was again spared a conviction.
Melbourne University said last year privacy rules prevented them from revealing if Cao is still a student, but that they were “committed to eliminating and preventing sexual misconduct from our community and have robust systems and supports in place for our students and staff”.
“Any experience of assault, sexual assault and sexual harassment within our university community is unacceptable,” a spokesperson said.
Header image: Left, Cao outside court (7News). Right Cao’s student photo.
