A Houston podiatrist is facing a felony charge after employees at his Memorial City medical office say they uncovered a hidden camera in a staff bathroom, according to authorities. The device was found under a sink and pointed toward the toilet, and deputies later seized both the camera and the footage stored on it. The doctor is charged in connection with invasive visual recording and is scheduled to return to court in April.
Investigation and charges
Harris County Precinct 5 deputies were called to the clinic on Feb. 20, where they recovered the device and reviewed its contents. After seeing the footage, investigators arrested Dr. Douglas Hansen when the Harris County District Attorney’s Office accepted a charge of attempted invasive visual recording. He was arraigned on Feb. 27, had bond set at $100, posted bond, and is due back in court on April 9, according to FOX 26 Houston.
Employees' accounts
According to the victims’ attorney, one employee noticed the device under the sink, facing the toilet, and recorded it with her phone before turning that video over to hospital security. "The women are scared," the attorney told reporters, saying three female staff members were affected and that children had at times used the same bathroom, as reported by FOX 26 Houston.
Legal stakes
Texas’ invasive visual recording statute covers photographing or recording another person in a bathroom or changing room without consent, treating it as a state-jail felony that can carry possible jail time and fines. The law specifically criminalizes capturing images of an intimate area or recording another person in a bathroom or changing room without their permission. Recent legislative changes also mean some invasive visual recording convictions may trigger sex-offender registration for offenses committed after Sept. 1, 2025, according to the Texas Penal Code.
A pattern in Houston hospitals
The case comes on the heels of other hidden-camera scares in the Houston medical community. Last August, a former Memorial Hermann The Woodlands employee was arrested after multiple devices were discovered in both staff and patient restrooms, and prosecutors filed invasive-visual-recording charges in that case. That earlier investigation led to security sweeps and civil claims and has highlighted workplace privacy concerns raised again by this latest arrest, according to reporting by Click2Houston.
What’s next
Investigators are still reviewing the seized footage and working to identify any additional potential victims. Authorities say anyone with information is urged to contact law enforcement. Hansen’s next court appearance is set for April 9, and the case remains under active investigation.
