Duluth man who recorded girls at Mariucci Arena pleads guilty

MINNEAPOLIS — A Duluth man accused of recording multiple girls and women at a high school graduation ceremony at the University of Minnesota Mariucci Arena pleaded guilty last week to multiple charges in Hennepin County District Court.

Benjamin Thomas Goldsmith, 33, will spend 120 days in jail and is required to complete sex offender treatment, according to the plea deal with Hennepin County prosecutors. A 25-month prison sentence will be stayed for three years, provided Goldsmith comply with the deal's conditions, which include no contact with children and restrictions on his internet use.

He pleaded guilty to three felony counts of possessing pornographic works and two counts of interfering with privacy, both misdemeanors.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 7 in front of District Judge Hilary Caligiuri.

Goldsmith used a camera hidden inside a box, which he covered with a sweatshirt, to take pictures and videos up the dresses of women and girls attending the graduation ceremony in June 2024, according to the criminal complaint signed by U of M Police Officer Bethany Thomas and Hennepin County prosecutor Dominic Haik.

Police were initially notified about Goldsmith’s erratic behavior by an off duty federal officer attending the ceremony who was concerned Goldsmith was armed and intended to be an active shooter.

Goldsmith was detained several blocks away from Mariucci Arena and a subsequent search of his belongings revealed the hidden camera, along with SD cards, which contained videos of 144 different females he had recorded at different graduations at the arena earlier that month.

An attempt to suppress the evidence obtained by police following Goldsmith’s detainment was denied in an 18-page order by Judge Caligiuri earlier this month.

While Goldsmith was not armed, the fact that police suspected him of being armed was sufficient cause to search his sweatshirt, according to Caligirui.