Neurosurgeon hid camera in hospital bathroom, Illinois cops say. He's sentenced
Henry Chang, 30, was sentenced to five years in prison after he was convicted of unauthorized video taping at a Peoria hospital where he was a neurosurgery resident, the Peoria County State's Attorney's Office said in a May 28 news release.
Multiple employees were filmed using the staff bathroom in August 2023, according to prosecutors. One of the employees found the camera when it fell from where it was hidden, the attorney's office said.
Over 50 people were recorded using the bathroom, prosecutors said.
'Harm was done in ways that words cannot describe,' one victim said during the sentencing hearing, according to prosecutors.
In handing down the sentence, the judge noted Chang's 'reprehensible' behavior while also mentioning his attendance in therapy and recovering meetings since the filming, prosecutors said.
'You did it 56 times,' Chief Judge Katherine Gorman said of the filming, according to prosecutors.
In addition to the sentence, Gorman ruled Chang eligible for the state's Impact Incarceration Program, which is a regimented alternative to traditional incarceration with a goal of rehabilitating those who participate.
Multiple victims spoke during Chang's sentencing hearing and said they cannot comfortably use public restrooms because of the doctor's actions, according to prosecutors.
'Each victim shared that Chang violated their privacy and trust and caused irreparable harm,' prosecutors said. 'Their workplace, once their 'safe space,' now feels unsafe. They experience stress and anxiety every time they use a public restroom and constantly check for hidden cameras. Because of Chang, something as simple as using a restroom is no longer safe or private for these individuals. Their lives have forever been altered.'
Peoria is about a 170-mile drive southwest from Chicago.
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