A high school staff member in Maryland is facing new criminal charges after an investigation uncovered eight more alleged victims of his illicit activities. James Mulhern III, associated with Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County, now faces a total of 12 charges related to the abuse of minors. Authorities indicated that recently recovered footage revealed 12 girls in various states of undress.
The investigation started on April 7 when two students found a video camera in the theater’s management booth. One student, upon checking the memory card, discovered a video filmed in the girls’ locker room and promptly notified the school officials.
According to police, the footage allegedly showed an adult man placing the camera in position and leaving the area. The school’s principal identified this individual as Mulhern, who works as a media services technician.
Detectives later executed search warrants at both the high school and Mulhern’s home in Clarksburg, recovering evidence and seizing electronic devices. As a result of the findings, investigators were able to identify eight additional alleged victims and locate videos dating back to 2015. This means the case has expanded significantly from the four victims originally identified when Mulhern was first charged.
Mulhern appeared in court on Wednesday regarding these additional charges. The judge determined he should be released on a $100,000 unsecured personal bail, but with specific conditions: he must stay away from Walter Johnson High School, cannot contact minors, and must have supervised contact only with his 4-year-old son.
Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy expressed heightened concerns for the case stemming from this newly found evidence.
In Maryland, each charge of child abuse can lead to a maximum sentence of 25 years. If found guilty of all 12 charges, Mulhern potentially faces up to 300 years behind bars.
