A "super brain" mathematics student has been banned from the Australian National University after allegedly installing a hidden camera in a shower cubicle on campus.
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Junqi Huang was allegedly unmasked as the perpetrator when police discovered that his own camera had recorded him hiding it inside the cubicle, which is in a unisex bathroom at a residential college.
The Chinese national was granted bail when he appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The 22-year-old is charged with capturing visual data in an invasion of privacy, and has not entered a plea.
He is the former president of the ANU Super Brain Society, which has aims including "finding ANU students with exceptional brainpower" and "exploring the world of genius from a scientific perspective".
In documents tendered to the court, police allege that Mr Huang installed a "small digital video and audio recorder" in a corner of the shower cubicle late on June 15.
A woman is said to have discovered the camera while undressing in the shower on Tuesday.
She took the device to the reception area in the student residence to report the matter, and the head of the residence contacted police.
Investigating officers have since watched video captured by the camera, which allegedly shows Mr Huang placing it in the shower.
In court on Wednesday, prosecutor Bridget Atkinson opposed bail.
She said Mr Huang had been removed from the university and would be ordered to vacate his on-campus accommodation.
Ms Atkinson said this meant Mr Huang no longer had any ties to the ACT and could therefore be motivated to abscond.
The status of Mr Huang's visa was also now unclear, she said, in light of him being unable to continue his study at the university.
Ms Atkinson expressed further concerns that Mr Huang would attempt to interfere with evidence and commit offences if released.
But Legal Aid duty lawyer Georgina Meikle said Mr Huang would be unlikely to receive a jail sentence if convicted, and bail conditions could ameliorate any perceived risks.
She said the prosecution's opposition to bail was largely predicated on Mr Huang being a foreign national who might want to leave the country, but Mr Huang could surrender his passport.
Ms Meikle also said Mr Huang had no criminal history, and it was difficult to see how he could interfere with evidence when police had already seized his phone and computer to search them for files that might have been transferred from the camera.
In reply, Ms Atkinson said police feared that Mr Huang might try to remotely access files and delete any incriminating evidence.
She said investigations were ongoing but police believed Mr Huang had been involved in other offending, dating back to June 5, which would demonstrate a pattern of behaviour if proven.
The prosecutor also argued that while Mr Huang could be ordered to surrender his passport, there would be nothing to stop him going to the Chinese Embassy and applying for a new one.
Chief Magistrate Lorraine Walker decided to grant Mr Huang bail.
She accepted there was some risk of Mr Huang remotely accessing images from the camera, but the police documents indicated that officers had already obtained strong evidence against the 22-year-old.
Ms Walker also found concerns that Mr Huang could commit offences on bail to be "speculative", noting his lack of a criminal record.
Mr Huang is subject to six bail conditions including that must not contact the woman who discovered the camera, or be on the university campus except once in the company of a police officer to collect personal belongings.
He is also required to surrender any passports he holds, and is banned from applying for a new one.
The case is due back in court on July 22, when Mr Huang will be expected to enter a plea.
