A junior surgeon accused of capturing explicit images of medical staff in hospital restrooms is considering a guilty plea, contingent on a specific arrangement with Crown prosecutors regarding the charges.
Ryan Yi Cho, a 28-year-old resident of Croydon Hills in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, is facing a staggering 910 charges. These charges stem from allegations that he clandestinely recorded over 450 individuals in hospital bathrooms and showers at various Melbourne hospitals.
Appearing in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday, Cho’s attorney, Kristina Kothrakis, signaled that he would admit guilt to some, though not all, of the charges.
“Your Honour, we have reached an agreement concerning the charges that will proceed,” Kothrakis stated.
“The remaining issue is the manner in which these charges will be consolidated,” she added.
The court was informed that prosecutors are withholding any agreement until they have communicated with all of Cho’s alleged victims to discuss the proposed plea arrangement.
Once agreed, the case is expected to move to the County Court of Victoria where Cho could face a significant jail term
He remains free in the community for now after his wealthy parents put up a $50,000 bond.
Ryan Cho is accused of being a sexual predator of the worst kind
Cho had initially been remanded in custody, but he was released after a successful appeal to the Supreme Court of Victoria.
The alleged sex offender then dumped his legal team and brought in lawyers from Doogue and George, which acted for mushroom killer Erin Patterson.
Cho is accused of setting up illegal recording devices at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Austin Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre where police claim he secretly filmed hundreds of people in staff and patient bathrooms.
In an earlier statement, police said the charges were for a range of offences including stalking, producing an intimate image and installing an optical surveillance device.
During an earlier bail hearing, the court heard Cho grew up in Singapore and had no prior criminal history. He enjoyed hiking, reading and had a passion for learning.
Cho was first arrested on July 10 after a phone concealed in a mesh bag was discovered in a staff toilet at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne’s northeast.
A subsequent examination of his electronic devices by detectives led to numerous new allegations.
Cho spent a brief period behind bars before being bailed out of the Supreme Court of Victoria (pictured)
During an appearance at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on July 25, the court heard police officers allegedly found 10,374 video and image files of Cho’s alleged victims on several devices.
Victoria Police told the court there could be as many as 460 different people affected, who had all been named on numerous folders found on Cho’s computer.
The folders allegedly contained a variety of footage of both men and women using hospital toilets, the court heard.
Following his arrest, Cho was banned from every hospital where he had worked.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency suspended Cho’s medical licence, meaning he can no longer work or study medicine.
Police told the court that Cho was a ‘devious’ offender who knew exactly what he wanted and how to go about it.
‘The accused has demonstrated in his level and pattern of offending that he is calculated and obsessed,’ Senior Constable Neral Baykur said at an earlier hearing.
‘The accused devoted enormous amounts of time and effort into keeping his colleagues under surveillance in their bathroom facilities.
Cho (left) with high profile criminal lawyer George Balot. Balot’s team had got Cho out of jail only to be dumped
‘[He went] to lengths to tamper with surrounding toilets to divert victims into where he set up and concealed his device, only to spend more time downloading and categorising the intimate footage and storing it on his laptop.’
In addition to being a risk in the workplace, police claimed Cho was a further risk to the general community.
‘The accused is currently residing in a shared house and poses an unacceptable risk to his housemates,’ Senior Constable Baykur warned the court in July.
‘Analysis of his laptop hard drive demonstrates that his previous female housemates are also likely victims.
‘Police have significant concerns for victims and their psychological safety and believe that the court should prioritise their protection and prevent the accused accessing further victims.’
It was also alleged in court that Cho captured much of the footage by hanging mesh bags containing mobile phones on the back of staff toilet doors, which police allege he activated to capture hours of footage.
One phone allegedly contained 4,500 intimate videos of staff members, the court heard.
One video file ran for more than three hours and allegedly captured various hospital staff in states of undress as they used the toilet, the court heard.
Cho’s family (pictured) have stood by the alleged sex grub
Cho had come to Australia in 2017 to study medicine at Monash University.
On completion in 2022, Cho graduated with Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees.
He became an Australian citizen and had been working as a resident surgeon at The Austin. Mr Cho had no prior criminal history in Australia or overseas.
While his original alleged offending was linked to The Austin, Cho allegedly committed similar offences at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
He will return to court on July 9.
