New Taipei City prosecutors yesterday indicted a gynecologist for allegedly possessing and distributing a large volume of sexual images of children, including material believed to have been secretly recorded during medical consultations with underage patients.
The defendant, surnamed Lo (羅), abused his professional position over many years to obtain and circulate illicit material, the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said.
Prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of at least two years and two months, citing the seriousness and duration of the alleged offenses, it said.
Photo: Wang Ting-chuan, Taipei Times
Searches of Lo's workplace and residence in November last year led to the seizure of computers and external storage devices containing about 2 terabytes of sexual images of children, prosecutors said, adding that some of the material allegedly included photographs of minors' private parts taken without consent while Lo was practicing medicine.
The case came to light after police in Tainan uncovered an online group used to share sexual images of children and allegedly identified Lo, a gynecologist practicing in Taoyuan, as a member. The case was subsequently referred to New Taipei City prosecutors for investigation.
Lo began acquiring the material as early as 2016, and between 2016 and 2018 allegedly used opportunities during medical visits to secretly photograph the private parts of children, investigators said.
Because many images did not show the victims' faces, identification has been difficult, prosecutors said, adding that at the least, hundreds of minors might have been affected.
Lo later joined multiple online groups centered on child sexual content and acted as a supplier by uploading files in his possession, prosecutors said.
The New Taipei District Court has approved a request to hold Lo incommunicado, citing the severity of the alleged offenses and the risk of evidence tampering.
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