Doctor admits to taking secret photos of minor's genitals at Orange Hospital
- Dignity 4Patients
- Dec 18, 2024
- 2 min read
By Lani Oataway - ABC News - 18.12.2025 - [AUSTRALIA] - [Dr. Nicholas Chu] A court has heard a doctor who covertly took photos of a child's genitals in the NSW Central West left the minor feeling "shameful" and terrified others would find out.
Nicholas Chu, 28, pleaded guilty to 13 charges of recording intimate images without consent, and one charge of producing child abuse material between January 2022 and February last year.
Orange District Court heard Chu was practising as a doctor at Orange Hospital at the time of the alleged offending, and took photos of several friends and patients — including two minors.
Doctor caused me harm
The court was told Chu took photos of a child's genitals while the minor was undergoing a medical procedure at the hospital in late 2022.
The child's mother read out their victim impact statement to the court.
"While I was vulnerable, he took photos of my genitals," she read. In the statement read by their mother, the child they were "freaked out" at the prospect of where the images might have gone, and harboured a great fear they would "pop up somewhere" in the future.
The court heard the minor was taken to hospital on the day of their mother's birthday.
"Forever more, my mother will wake up on her birthday to remember [it] was the day I became a victim of this crime," the statement read.
Doctors are held in such high regard. Former doctor admits breach of trust
Chu, who was remanded in custody, gave evidence in his prison greens at the sentencing hearing.
"I regret everything I did, I never should have done any of it," he told the court.
"There are many things wrong with [my offending], it was illegal, but more than that it was a breach of trust in so many ways. Chu said when the offending came to light, he was "overwhelmed with guilt," and sought treatment with a psychologist, psychiatrist and GP.
"I got to understand why my thoughts were so problematic, some of the trauma origins of some of these issues, [and] got to understand that there was a way forward with treatment," he told the court. Complete betrayal
Defence Barrister Arjun Chhabra told the court his client's actions demonstrated a "complete betrayal" of his friends and patients who trusted him.
"His offending is a blight on the city of Orange, on Australia, whose people adopted him and offered him employment," he said.
But Mr Chhabra asked Judge Penny Musgrave to make a finding of special circumstances for Chu, and that a discount be applied for the assistance he provided police officers during their investigation. Crown Prosecutor Kathryn Whyte asked Judge Musgrave to consider the objective seriousness of Chu's crimes in her sentence, which will be handed down in February next year. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article and were abused in state run medical and health facilities, you can contact Dignity4Patients, whose helpline is open Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.
