Radiologist arrested for secretly recording female patient's breasts during imaging

A radiologist in Japan has been arrested on allegations of secretly recording a patient with his smartphone while she underwent medical imaging. 

According to local news outlets, on Feb. 27 Masamichi Hidaka—a 30-year-old radiologist at Koshigaya Municipal Hospital in Japan—was allegedly caught recording a female patient’s breast during an X-ray. The exact type of imaging she was having at the time has not been disclosed.  

The woman, who is said to be in her 20s, became suspicious when she noticed the doctor’s smartphone in his coat pocket with the camera lens pointing toward her. Once her exam was completed, the woman shared her concerns with a hospital employee, who reported the incident, leading police in Koshigaya, Saitama Prefecture to investigating the matter. 

Hidaka was later arrested on suspicion of taking voyeuristic images of the woman. Police handling his arrest said the radiologist admitted to recording the patient. During his admission, he allegedly told them, "She was the type of woman I liked, so I wanted to keep a record of it.” 

Koshigaya City, which runs the hospital, issued a statement on the matter, stating, “We deeply regret the arrest of the staff member and take it very seriously,” the Tokyo Reporter reports. “We will verify the facts and deal with the matter rigorously.” 

It is not clear at this time whether Hidaka has recorded other women, but police are continuing their investigation into the radiologist’s history.