A trainee doctor in Melbourne, Australia, is facing serious charges after authorities accused him of secretly filming hundreds of colleagues in hospital bathrooms, according to multiple news outlets.
Ryan Cho, 28, has been charged with more than 130 offenses, including stalking, producing intimate images, and installing surveillance devices, the Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC) reported, citing police. Investigators allege that Cho collected around 4,500 explicit photos and videos of alleged female victims on his electronic devices.
Authorities believe at least 450 people were recorded on hidden cameras allegedly placed by Cho in bathrooms at Austin Hospital, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and the Royal Melbourne Hospital since 2021, according to ABC, News.com.au, and CBS News.
Cho, who worked at Austin Hospital, was arrested on July 10 after an employee reportedly spotted a cell phone recording in a bathroom, News.com.au reported, citing police.
On Friday, Aug. 22, the Victorian Supreme Court granted him bail under strict conditions. According to the outlets, Cho must observe a curfew, live with his parents — who were ordered to pay a $32,000 surety — undergo psychological treatment, and stay away from hospitals except in emergencies. He also surrendered his passport.
Cho’s lawyer, Julian McMahon SC, told ABC that no evidence shows his client distributed the material or directly threatened the alleged victims. Cho has not yet entered a plea.
“We’ve got a complicated young professional man with what will eventually be understood as complex psychiatric issues together with criminal conduct,” McMahon said, according to News.com.au.
Authorities continue to investigate and have not ruled out the possibility of additional victims.
