A longtime Rutgers University research dean is barred from campus and facing a criminal charge after state investigators say they found secretly recorded undergarment videos on his phone. Joshua Kohut, 51, of Cranbury, serves as dean of research at Rutgers' School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and was arrested and charged with fourth-degree invasion of privacy following a search warrant executed on his devices on August 24.
According to Daily Voice, investigators seized Kohut's devices that same day, and a forensic preview of the material uncovered upskirt videos showing another person's undergarment-clad intimate parts, according to the New Jersey Attorney General's Office. Officials say Kohut used a mobile phone to record the footage without the victim's knowledge. New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Director Jennifer Davenport said an invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act, adding that authorities will prosecute accordingly.
Campus Ban Follows Arrest
Rutgers confirmed in a statement on August 25 that Kohut has been placed on paid administrative leave and banned from campus pending the outcome of the investigation, as reported by Patch. State prosecutors say the alleged recording took place directly on Rutgers University's New Brunswick campus. The university's flagship New Brunswick campus enrolls more than 38,000 students and employs over 2,000 faculty members across 13 academic units, per the Rutgers University Catalog.
Before moving into administration, Kohut spent more than two decades building oceanographic observation programs at Rutgers, earning his doctorate from the university in 2002 and co-founding the Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership, according to Research With Rutgers. The school he now oversees as research dean, the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, educates more than 3,500 undergraduate students across 21 majors and oversees 16 research centers and institutes, per Rutgers University SEBS.
What The Charge Carries
Deputy Attorneys General Layli Khelafa and Sarah Milicia are prosecuting the case on behalf of the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, the Attorney General's Office said. Under N.J.S.A. 2C:14-9, recording someone's undergarment-clad intimate parts without consent is a fourth-degree offense, distinct from the third-degree felony that applies when nude intimate parts or sexual acts are recorded, according to the Law Office of Anthony J. Vecchio. The fourth-degree charge Kohut faces carries a potential sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
New Jersey law also separates the act of recording from the act of sharing such footage. Distributing or sharing non-consensual recordings of intimate parts is its own third-degree crime, punishable by up to five years in state prison and fines as high as $30,000, per Keith Oliver Criminal Law. It remains unclear whether forensic investigators have found evidence that any footage was shared, and state officials have not said whether additional charges tied to distribution are being considered.
Victim's Identity Still Unclear
State officials have not disclosed whether the alleged victim named in the search warrant preview is a Rutgers student, staff member, or faculty member, and spokespersons for the Attorney General's Office declined to clarify that affiliation when asked, Patch reports. Authorities are also asking anyone who believes they may be an additional victim of Kohut to come forward. The Attorney General's office has set up a dedicated line for tips: Lt. Jon Norcia of the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety can be reached at 609-780-5449 or by email at [email protected].
