Melbourne trainee surgeon granted bail amid hospital recordings case

A Melbourne trainee surgeon has been granted bail after facing hundreds of charges over alleged covert video recording of hospital staff in toilets and restrooms across three major metropolitan facilities. Ryan Cho, 28, was charged with what prosecutors describe as a pattern of highly planned intrusions that produced thousands of intimate images and videos dating from 2021 to 2025. He was released on strict conditions, including living with his parents and posting a sizable surety, as the legal process unfolds.

Police say Cho’s alleged conduct spans the Austin Hospital, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, with a phone found concealed inside a mesh bag in a staff bathroom at the Austin Hospital triggering the initial investigation. Since then, officers have added 127 further charges, bringing the total to around 130 at the time of the bail decision, with prosecutors warning the tally could reach close to 500 as more victims are identified and additional material is reviewed. Investigators allege the material includes more than 10,000 videos and images created between 2021 and 2025, and that some files were organized into folders referencing...