Joshua Kohut has been placed on administrative leave and banned from campus while authorities investigate the alleged recordings.
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A Rutgers University research dean has been charged with invasion of privacy after New Jersey authorities alleged he used a mobile phone to secretly record upskirt videos while working at the university.
Joshua Kohut, 51, of Cranbury, serves as dean of research at Rutgers’ School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office announced his arrest Aug. 25 and said he was charged by complaint with fourth-degree invasion of privacy. Prosecutors said the allegations remain accusations and Kohut is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The case followed an investigation that led authorities to execute a search warrant on Aug. 24. According to the Attorney General’s Office, electronic devices belonging to Kohut were seized, and a forensic preview of one device found videos showing another person’s undergarment-clad intimate areas. Court records cited by news organizations said five electronic devices were seized during the search.
Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said prosecutors allege Kohut used his phone to make the recordings without the person’s knowledge. The Attorney General’s Office has not publicly identified the person shown in the videos or said whether that person was a Rutgers student, employee or someone else. Authorities also have not publicly disclosed how the investigation began.
Rutgers placed Kohut on administrative leave after learning of the charge and barred him from campus while the investigation continues. A university spokesperson described the allegations as “extremely disturbing.” The university has not announced the outcome of any internal review or said whether additional disciplinary action will be taken.
Kohut has held several academic and research roles at Rutgers. University materials list him as dean of research for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, research director for the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and a professor in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences. WHYY reported that he has been affiliated with Rutgers for about 29 years and has served in his current research leadership positions since 2025.
A fourth-degree invasion-of-privacy charge in New Jersey carries a possible sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 if a defendant is convicted, according to the Attorney General’s Office. State officials said Deputy Attorneys General Layli Khelafa and Sarah Milicia are representing the prosecution. The state’s initial announcement listed defense counsel as undetermined.
Kohut appeared in court Aug. 25 and was released under pretrial monitoring, CBS News New York reported. He is due back in court Oct. 8. CBS said it attempted to reach Kohut by phone and at his Cranbury home but had not received a response as of its Aug. 26 update.
State investigators have asked anyone who believes they may have been a victim, or who has information relevant to the investigation, to contact the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety. Authorities have not announced additional charges or publicly confirmed additional alleged victims. Kohut remains on leave and barred from the Rutgers campus as the criminal case and university investigation continue.
Author note: Last updated August 28, 2026.