A trainee surgeon accused of secretly filming hundreds of women in hospital toilets and bathrooms has “complex” mental health issues, his lawyer says.
Ryan Cho, who is facing more than 130 charges, was freed on bail on Friday at the second attempt following his arrest last month.
Defence barrister Julian McMahon SC told the Supreme Court the alleged offending would eventually be understood as “complex psychiatric and psychological issues together with criminal conduct”.
Mr McMahon said he expected “hundreds” more charges to be laid by the end of the year, and that Dr Cho’s case could encounter lengthy delays.
However prosecutor Russ Hammill said Dr Cho could expect to face a County Court trial in the second half of 2026.
The 28-year-old’s charges include stalking, producing intimate images and secretly installing surveillance devices.
Police allege Dr Cho secretly installed cameras to film at least 460 unsuspecting people in the toilets and showers of the Austin Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
“The images relate to the intimate bathroom behaviour of many hundreds of women,” Mr Hammill said on Friday.
The prosecutor said the alleged offending “borders on the obsessive”, telling the court about 4,500 videos had been located on Dr Cho’s electronic devices. The total number of people captured in the clips remained unknown.
Justice James Elliott granted bail on Friday afternoon, saying risks to the community could be managed by “very strict conditions”.
Those include a curfew, compulsory medical treatment and living with his parents, who have paid a $50,000 surety.
He will also be banned from attending hospitals, unless in an emergency.
Doctor kept in 23-hour lockdown in prison
Dr Cho, wearing a white shirt and black suit, was supported in court by his mother and father who have moved from Singapore for at least three months.
His father, Wilson, told the court he had “no idea” of his son’s alleged crimes until learning of the charges last month.
Police wanted to hold Dr Cho in custody, arguing there was an “unacceptable risk” the Singaporean national was a flight risk, would not surrender himself into police, and could interfere with witnesses.
Mr McMahon said Dr Cho was entitled to the presumption of bail, arguing his client would live at a rental property with his parents and had no links to organised criminals who could help him flee the country.
Dr Cho’s barrister said his client had been kept in isolation in prison and was subjected to a 23-hour lockdown.
He said there was no evidence Dr Cho had been violent or threatened the people he was accused of secretly filming.
“There’s no allegation of material being distributed, forwarded or marketed,” he said.
As part of his bail conditions, Dr Cho has surrendered his passport and will not be allowed to own any recording devices, such as cameras or phones.
He will have to report to a local police station three times a week.