Maryland school staffer faces twelve minor abuse charges after expanded video evidence
A Walter Johnson High School employee in Maryland has been charged with twelve counts of abusing minors after investigators uncovered additional video footage showing more victims.
Montgomery County police launched an inquiry after two students discovered a hidden camera in the theater control booth of Walter Johnson High School on April 7, revealing footage from the girls' changing room. The school identified the technician, James Mulhern III, as the individual who placed the device. Initial charges covered four victims, but subsequent searches of the school and Mulhern's Clarksburg residence yielded additional recordings dating back to 2015, leading to eight more alleged victims and a total of twelve abuse of a minor counts.
Mulhern appeared in court for the new charges and was released on a $100,000 unsecured personal bond, barred from the school and limited to supervised contact with his young son. Montgomery County State's Attorney John McCarthy said the new evidence heightened the seriousness of the case, noting that each count could result in up to 25 years in prison, potentially totaling 300 years if all convictions stand.
Why it matters
The case highlights serious privacy violations and child safety failures within a public school environment.
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