Maryland High School Worker Charged With 12 Counts After Investigators Uncover Eight Additional Victims in Secret Recording Case

James Mulhern III, a media services technician at Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, now faces 12 counts of abuse of a minor following an expanded investigation that uncovered eight additional alleged victims beyond those initially identified. Authorities said recovered video evidence documented 12 female students in various states of undress, according to Montgomery County police.

The case began April 7 when two students discovered a hidden camera in the theater control booth and found recordings made inside the girls changing room. After reviewing the memory card and alerting school administrators, the principal identified Mulhern as the individual visible in the footage placing the camera in the room.

Detectives executed search warrants at both the school and Mulhern’s Clarksburg residence, recovering electronic devices and other evidence. The investigation expanded significantly when analysis of the seized materials revealed videos dating back to 2015 and led authorities to identify the eight additional victims not part of the original April charges.

Mulhern appeared in court Wednesday to face the additional charges. A judge released him on a $100,000 unsecured personal bond while imposing conditions requiring him to avoid Walter Johnson High School, refrain from contact with minors, and maintain only supervised contact with his 4-year-old son.

Under Maryland law, each abuse of a minor count carries a maximum 25-year sentence. If convicted on all 12 counts, Mulhern faces potential exposure of up to 300 years in prison, according to Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy.