Man Filmed 144 Women's Skirts at Minnesota High School Graduations

A Pattern of Illegal Behavior

Benjamin Thomas Goldsmith, a 32-year-old man from Duluth, has been charged with multiple crimes related to the illegal taking of photos and videos under the skirts of unsuspecting women and girls. His recent arrest outside Mariucci Arena on the University of Minnesota campus has raised concerns about his continued criminal behavior, particularly during high school graduation ceremonies.

Goldsmith was arrested in June 2024 and charged in Hennepin County District Court with three counts of felony possession of child pornography and three counts of invasion of privacy. During the search of his belongings, law enforcement discovered a cellphone, a digital camera, and SD cards containing video clips of 144 different women or girls at the graduation events. Further investigation led to the discovery of an external hard drive in his car that held 151 images or videos of child sexual abuse material involving victims as young as two years old.

Suspicious Behavior Led to Arrest

According to the charges, a witness reported seeing someone acting strangely and carrying something bulky under a hooded sweatshirt. The individual would get “uncomfortably close” to women and girls and touch something in his pocket. He approached the entrance to Mariucci Arena several times but would turn away when he got near the metal detectors. The witness became concerned that he might have a gun. When police approached him, they asked where he was from. He claimed to be from Duluth, but when asked whom he was there to see graduate, he could not name anyone.

Upon examining his hooded sweatshirt, officers found a small hole cut into the fabric and a camera lens poking out. This discovery confirmed their suspicions about his actions.

Previous Criminal History

Goldsmith’s criminal history includes multiple cases involving similar behavior. In Ramsey County, he was charged with 11 counts of invasion of privacy for taking photos up the skirts of teenagers at the Roseville High School graduation just one day before his arrest at Mariucci Arena. He was charged in that case in July of last year.

In February of this year, he was also charged in Hennepin County with one count of interfering with privacy after allegedly placing a cellphone under the fitting room door at Forever 21 inside Mall of America in December of last year. Goldsmith posted $6,000 bail in the Hennepin County case and was released on his own recognizance in the Ramsey County case in March.

A History of Unauthorized Photography

Goldsmith's pattern of behavior dates back even further. In 2018, he was charged with 30 counts of interfering with privacy over recording up the skirts of 65 women and girls at the Mall of America. According to reports, he spent five hours recording unsuspecting women before being caught by security officers. Witnesses had seen him walk by a woman wearing a skirt near the Disney store four times with a camera in hand. Mall surveillance video corroborated these accounts.

Bloomington police found a small, white Sony camera, a Muscle Milk container used to conceal the camera, batteries, and a smartphone when they arrested him. A search of his camera and phone turned up a memory card containing 77 videos of the victims. Most of the videos showed Goldsmith’s face, according to the charges.

Legal Implications and Expungement

Despite these incidents, some of Goldsmith’s previous charges have not appeared on his public criminal record. Minnesota passed the Clean Slate Act in 2023, which automatically expunges certain low-level, nonviolent criminal records. The process went into effect this year, allowing for the removal of some of his past offenses.

Currently, no attorney is listed for Goldsmith in his most recent case, leaving many questions about his legal representation and future actions. As the court proceedings continue, the community remains vigilant against individuals who engage in such invasive and harmful behavior.