A senior Rutgers University administrator is facing criminal charges after authorities accused him of secretly recording “upskirt” videos, New Jersey officials announced Tuesday.
Joshua Kohut, 51, dean of research at Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, has been charged with fourth-degree invasion of privacy in connection with the alleged recordings, according to a joint statement from state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice.
Kohut is accused of using his cellphone to capture “upskirt” footage without the victim’s knowledge, Davenport said in the release.
“An invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act. We will prosecute accordingly,” Davenport said.
Investigators seized Kohut’s electronic devices after executing a search warrant Monday. During a forensic review, authorities said they found videos on one device showing an unidentified person’s “undergarment-clad intimate parts,” according to the release.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office did not say whether any students were among those allegedly targeted.
Rutgers said in a statement to The Post that it “placed Josh Kohut on administrative leave after being informed of the extremely disturbing charges.”
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The university added that the research dean has also been barred from campus while the investigation continues.
Kohut is currently on paid leave, the university confirmed to The Post.
The educator faces up to 18 months behind bars and a fine up to $10,000, if convicted.
The university announced Kohut’s appointment as dean in January 2025 and said he would be “an active member of the Executive Dean’s leadership team.”
He has a longstanding history with Rutgers, first attending the schools as a graduate student roughly 28 years ago — and later becoming professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.
Kohut “has experienced the university in many capacities: student, staff, faculty, and administrator,” the release said at the time.
The NJ Attorney General’s office and DCJ are encouraging any potential victims to come forward with information.
If you or anyone you know may have been a victim of this defendant you may contact the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety at: Lt. Jon Norcia 609-780-5449 or NorciaJ@njdcj.org.
