Ryan Cho, a 28-year-old Singaporean trainee surgeon, has pleaded guilty to 13 charges, including stalking, producing intimate images, and installing an optical surveillance device. These charges stem from his actions at three major Melbourne hospitals: the Austin Hospital, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. Between 2021 and 2025, Cho secretly filmed hundreds of colleagues in staff toilets and showers, capturing thousands of intimate images and videos. The material was organized into folders and subfolders, named according to the locations where the videos or images were captured, the names of medical facilities and their wards, the names of victims, and what appeared to be tiered designations of particular images and videos.
The case came to light in 2025 when a nurse discovered a mobile phone inside a bag in a staff toilet at the Austin Hospital, which was recording. A subsequent search of Cho's home revealed a laptop and a hard drive containing over 10,000 image and video files. Cho was arrested in July 2025 and was later fired from the hospital. His medical registration in Australia was also suspended.
During a court session on July 9, 2026, Cho admitted to the charges. Magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz acknowledged the presence of several victims in the court and via video link. Cho's next court appearance is scheduled for November 23, 2026, for a pre-sentence hearing in Melbourne's County Court, where impact statements from the victims are expected to be heard.
The case has raised significant concerns about privacy and security within medical institutions. The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) suspended Cho's medical registration in 2025, preventing him from practicing as a doctor in Australia.
Cho, who moved from Singapore to Australia in 2018 to pursue a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine at Monash University, became a permanent resident of Australia in April 2025. His parents, who reside in Singapore, have been present in Melbourne to support him during the legal proceedings.
The case has prompted discussions about the need for stricter privacy measures and surveillance protocols in healthcare settings to protect staff and patients from similar violations.