Rutgers dean accused of taking ‘upskirt’ videos

Thao Nguyen

USA TODAY

A Rutgers University dean and longtime professor was arrested and charged with invasion of privacy after prosecutors alleged he used a cell phone to secretly record 'upskirt' videos of another person while working at the New Jersey school.

Joshua Kohut, 51, of Cranbury, New Jersey, was arrested Aug. 25 and charged with fourth-degree invasion of privacy, the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said in a news release.

Prosecutors alleged that Kohut used a cell phone to record videos of a victim’s 'undergarment-clad intimate parts' without consent.

Following an investigation into Kohut, prosecutors said a search warrant was executed at his residence on Aug. 24. Authorities found multiple electronic devices at his home, including one allegedly containing 'upskirt' videos of the victim.

'The defendant is alleged to have used his mobile phone to record ‘upskirt’ videos without his victim’s knowledge,' Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement announcing the charge. 'An invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act.'

Authorities have not publicly identified the alleged victim, and it was not immediately clear whether the person was affiliated with the university.

If convicted, Kohut could face up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 under New Jersey law, according to prosecutors.

Kohut has been affiliated with Rutgers University for nearly three decades, according to his faculty biography on the school’s website.

He started at the New Brunswick campus in 1997 as a doctoral student in physical oceanography, earned his Ph.D. in 2002 and went on to lead the Rutgers Center for Ocean Observing Leadership.

He later served as an assistant professor beginning in 2008, an associate professor from 2014 to 2019, and a full professor since 2019, his faculty biography shows. In 2025, Kohut became the dean of research for the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and director of research for the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

A spokesperson for Rutgers University told NorthJersey.com, part of the USA TODAY Network, that Kohut was put on administrative leave after officials learned of 'the extremely disturbing charges.' Kohut has also been banned from the campus, pending the outcome of the investigation.

'Upskirting' is the act of secretly taking photographs or videos underneath a person’s clothing without that person’s knowledge or consent, typically to capture images of underwear or intimate body areas. The conduct is generally considered a form of voyeurism and an invasion of privacy.

In New Jersey, state law makes it a crime to photograph, film, videotape, record or otherwise reproduce an image of another person’s 'undergarment-clad intimate parts' without consent and under circumstances in which a reasonable person would not expect those areas to be observed.

Contributing: John Connolly, NorthJersey.com

According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Rutgers University dean Joshua Kohut was arrested on Aug. 25. Kohut is accused using a cell phone to secretly record 'upskirt' videos of another person while working at the school.

Jim Walsh/Cherry Hill Courier-Post file