A Singaporean-born trainee surgeon, 28-year-old Ryan Cho, who is accused of secretly filming hundreds of women in hospital restroom facilities across Melbourne, has been released on bail.
Authorities say investigators have recovered approximately 4,500 intimate videos and images, allegedly recorded between 2021 and 2025.
Allegations & investigation
According to the report, Cho hid cameras and phones in staff toilets and showers at Austin Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, secretly recording private footage of at least 460 women.
Initially arrested on July 10 after a phone was discovered recording inside a mesh bag in an Austin Hospital restroom, Cho now faces over 130 formal charges.
This includes stalking, producing intimate images without consent, and using surveillance devices. Prosecutors expect the number of charges to eventually reach around 500.
Bail decision & conditions
It was reported that on Aug 22, Justice James Elliott granted Cho bail at the Victorian Supreme Court, ruling that the risks to the community could be managed with strict supervision.
Under the terms of his release, Cho must live with his parents, who relocated from Singapore and posted a AU$50,000 surety.
He is also required to follow a curfew, report to police three times a week, and surrender his passports, including his Singaporean one.
The court further ordered him to undergo compulsory medical and mental health treatment, while also banning him from owning any recording devices such as phones or cameras, and from entering hospitals except in cases of emergency.
Cho has also been suspended from practicing medicine in Australia and temporarily stood down from his role at Austin Health.
Legal arguments & next steps
Defense barrister Julian McMahon SC characterized the case as involving “complex psychiatric and psychological issues together with criminal conduct” and suggested that hundreds more charges could be added by the end of the year.
He also indicated that trial delays are likely due to the massive volume of evidence.
Prosecutor Russ Hammill said Cho could expect a County Court trial in the second half of 2026 (ABC).
Cho, who came to Australia as a student in 2017 and studied medicine at Monash University, became an Australian permanent resident in April 2025, though a conviction carrying a sentence of 12 months or more could trigger deportation.
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