Rutgers Dean Charged With Filming Upskirt Videos

NJ Attorney General announces charges against School of Environmental and Biological Sciences research dean

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A high-ranking Rutgers University dean has been charged after allegedly being caught filming "upskirt" videos. Joshua Kohut, 51, who works as the dean of research at the university's School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, was charged with fourth-degree invasion of privacy for allegedly filming the videos, according to a joint press release from state Attorney General Jennifer Davenport and the Division of Criminal Justice.

"The defendant is alleged to have used his mobile phone to record 'upskirt' videos without his victim's knowledge," Davenport said. "An invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act. We will prosecute accordingly." Investigators executed a search warrant on Monday, Aug. 24, and seized devices belonging to Kohut.

One of the seized devices was found to contain "upskirt" videos of a woman's undergarment-clad intimate parts, the state Attorney General said. It has not been immediately confirmed whether the alleged victims were Rutgers students or fellow faculty members.

Kohut is currently on paid leave, and the university confirmed he is banned from campus pending the outcome of his criminal case. He faces up to 18 months behind bars and a fine of up to $10,000 if convicted.

Rutgers announced Kohut's appointment as dean in January 2025, saying he would be "an active member of the Executive Dean's leadership team." He has a longstanding history with the university, first attending as a graduate student roughly 28 years ago before becoming a professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences.