A senior Rutgers University administrator is facing criminal charges after investigators say they found secretly recorded upskirt videos on his electronic devices, prompting the school to ban him from campus and place him on immediate administrative leave.

Joshua Kohut, 51, the Dean of Research for Rutgers' School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, has been charged with fourth-degree invasion of privacy. Investigators discovered the recordings after executing a search warrant on his devices, Fox News reported. Kohut has served on the Rutgers faculty since 2008.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport did not hold back about the allegations. In a statement carried by the New York Post, Davenport laid out the state's position plainly:

"The defendant is alleged to have used his mobile phone to record upskirt videos without his victim's knowledge. An invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act. We will prosecute accordingly."

University moves swiftly to distance itself

Rutgers wasted little time responding. A university spokesperson confirmed the school had acted on the charges by stripping Kohut of his campus access and suspending his duties.

"The university placed Josh Kohut on administrative leave after being informed of the extremely disturbing charges. The research dean also is banned from campus pending the outcome of an investigation."

The spokesperson's use of the phrase "extremely disturbing charges" signals that the university views the matter with gravity, though Kohut has not been convicted. The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have not publicly confirmed how many recordings were found or how many victims may be involved.

What Kohut faces if convicted

Fourth-degree invasion of privacy in New Jersey carries real consequences. If convicted, Kohut faces up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. While not the most severe felony classification in the state, a conviction would almost certainly end a career in higher education and could trigger sex-offender registration requirements, depending on the final disposition.

Kohut held a position of considerable authority at one of the nation's largest public universities. As Dean of Research for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, he oversaw research programs and interacted regularly with faculty, staff, and students. That institutional trust makes the allegations all the more troubling for the Rutgers community.

Cases involving misconduct by figures entrusted with authority in academic settings have drawn increasing public scrutiny in recent years, and for good reason. When the people running institutions betray the safety of those around them, the damage extends far beyond any single victim.

Key questions investigators must answer

Authorities have not publicly confirmed several critical details. Investigators will need to determine the scope of the recordings: how many victims were captured, over what period of time, and whether any of the recordings involved students or minors. The search warrant suggests law enforcement had probable cause before seizing the devices, but the circumstances that initially drew suspicion have not been disclosed.

Prosecutors have also not said whether Kohut allegedly recorded victims on Rutgers property, in other public locations, or both. That distinction could matter for the university's own liability exposure and for any additional charges that might follow.

Whether Kohut used university-owned devices or personal equipment is another open question. If any university technology was involved, Rutgers could face pressure to explain what oversight mechanisms existed and whether they failed.

A pattern of institutional reckoning

The charges land at a moment when universities across the country face hard questions about how they vet and monitor senior administrators. Kohut spent nearly two decades on the Rutgers faculty before rising to a deanship. Nothing in the public record so far indicates prior complaints or disciplinary action. That gap between a long institutional tenure and sudden criminal charges will inevitably raise questions about what, if anything, was missed.

Rutgers, as a state institution, will also face scrutiny over transparency. Public universities owe their communities a full accounting when senior leaders are accused of criminal conduct on or near campus. The school's swift action in suspending Kohut and banning him from campus suggests it understands the stakes, but the investigation's outcome will determine whether that response was sufficient.

Kohut's next court appearance and the timeline for any additional investigative findings have not been publicly announced. The Attorney General's office has signaled it intends to prosecute the case fully.

When a dean allegedly turns a cellphone into a weapon against the people he was supposed to serve, no amount of administrative leave can restore the trust that was broken. Only accountability can.