A staff member from a high school in Maryland is under fire for allegedly recording female students in a changing room. Authorities have announced new charges after uncovering eight additional victims as part of a broader investigation.
James Mulhern III, who works at Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County, is now charged with 12 counts of abusing minors. This follows the discovery of videos featuring 12 female students in various states of undress.
The investigation kicked off when two students found a hidden camera in the theater control booth at Walter Johnson High School on April 7, according to Montgomery County police.
Upon checking the camera’s memory card, one of the students uncovered recordings from the girls’ changing room, prompting them to notify school officials.
James Mulhern III, associated with Walter Johnson High School, is facing new charges after the identification of eight more alleged victims connected to a student voyeurism investigation. (Montgomery County Department of Police)
Police said the footage showed an adult male placing the camera inside the room before leaving. The school’s principal identified the man as Mulhern, a media services technician at the school.
Detectives executed search warrants at the high school and Mulhern’s Clarksburg home, where they recovered items of evidentiary value and seized several electronic devices, according to police.
Authorities said evidence recovered during the investigation led detectives to identify eight additional alleged victims and videos dating back to 2015, expanding the case from the four victims identified when Mulhern was first charged in April.
Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Md., where authorities say employee James Mulhern III is accused of secretly recording female students in a theater changing room. (Google Maps)
Mulhern appeared in court Wednesday on the additional charges. A judge ordered his release on a $100,000 unsecured personal bond with conditions that he stay away from Walter Johnson High School, have no contact with minors and have only supervised contact with his 4-year-old son.
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said the newly uncovered evidence heightened prosecutors’ concerns in the case.
An aerial view of Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Md., where investigators said James Mulhern III worked as a media services technician. (Google Maps)
Each count of abuse of a minor carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison under Maryland law. If convicted on all 12 counts, Mulhern could face up to 300 years behind bars.
News Media has reached out to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for additional comment.