Kyle Muehlhauser, co-owner and president of the Rams Head Group, was booked by Howard County police on February 19, 2015, and charged with videotaping six women as they used the restroom. Howard County police conducted a 10-month investigation into Muehlhauser after a female patron found a hidden camera in the bathroom of the Rams Head Tavern in Savage, Maryland.
In May 2014, a woman provided a digital camera to Howard County police after the camera fell from the ceiling and landed next to her in the bathroom. Police analysis of the camera showed it was pointed in the direction of the toilet, secretly capturing the images of six women.
Rams Head Tavern is part of the Rams Head Group of restaurants and concert venues owned by Kyle Muehlhauser and his father, Bill Muehlhauser. The Savage, Maryland location was opened in April 2004 and is the largest of the Rams Head Tavern locations. Kyle Muehlhauser is president of The Rams Head Group and serves as a member of the board of directors for the National Aquarium in Baltimore. His Pier Six concert venue has a business relationship with the city of Baltimore.
Police identified Muehlhauser after they matched images found on the hidden camera's memory device with the restaurant's security footage. Police obtained a search warrant to collect DNA from Muehlhauser and genetically matched it to DNA recovered from the camera.
Muehlhauser faces six counts of unauthorized video surveillance, carrying a sentence up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for each count (Md. Criminal Law Code Ann. § 3-901(c)), as well as six counts of video surveillance with prurient intent (Md. Criminal Law Code Ann. § 3-902(c)), carrying a sentence of 1 year in jail and a $2,500 fine for each count. He was released on a $35,000 bond and is scheduled to appear on April 9 in Howard County District Court.
While the Rams Head Group characterized Muehlhauser’s arrest as an “isolated incident,” Annapolis police are investigating whether Muehlhauser may have placed hidden cameras in the bathroom of the Rams Head West Street location in Annapolis, Maryland. The Rams Head Group owns restaurants and concert venues in Anne Arundel and Queen Anne’s Counties, which may also be the subject of police investigations.
Maryland law provides civil remedies for people illegally videotaped under the infractions Muehlhauser was charged with. Under the law, victims of voyeurism may be able to recover damages and reasonable attorney’s fees from wrongdoers.
The Cochran Firm, D.C. has established a strong track record of securing compensation for victims of voyeurism and invasion of privacy. Our team of experienced privacy lawyers helped secure a $190 million civil judgment against Johns Hopkins University after one of its gynecologists, Dr. Nikita Levy, was arrested for secretly videotaping women as he performed their gynecological exams. The Cochran Firm, D.C. is also investigating claims of voyeurism, invasion of privacy, and negligence against Rabbi Barry Freundel and his employers at Kesher Israel Synagogue.
If you believe you or someone you love had their privacy invaded at a Rams Head Group restaurant, please contact our team of legal professionals at 202-682-5800, or 24/7 at 1-800-THE-FIRM (843-3476), or fill out a contact form to receive a free, prompt, and confidential case review.
