MARION, OH (MARION COUNTY NOW) – A victim of the Marion County man who has pleaded guilty to hiding cameras in local public restrooms said he has “ruined his own life” through his criminal activity and she has no pity for him.
Benjamin Dunham, age 19, Marion, pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism, a fifth-degree felony, and one count of interception of an oral communication, a fourth-degree felony, when he appeared in Marion County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 9. As part of the plea agreement, one count of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material/performance, a second-degree felony, was dismissed.
Visting Judge Mark S. O’Connor, a retired Logan County Common Pleas Court judge, sentenced Dunham to five years of community control for each offense and 60 days of jail time at the Multi-County Correctional Center in Marion. Dunham was given credit for 10 days of jail time already served, making the total jail term 50 days. He was remanded to jail on Jan. 9 and will be released on Feb. 24, 2024.
Additionally, Dunham was classified as a Tier 1 sex offender for a period of 15 years. As such, he must register in person annually with the sheriff’s office in the county where he resides during that span of time.
Marion County Prosecutor Ray Grogan argued for a sentence of two years in prison for each offense during the hearing on Jan. 9.
Dunham was arrested on Feb. 2, 2023, following an investigation that was initiated after cameras were found concealed in public restrooms on the campus of The Ohio State University at Marion and the Marion Family YMCA. Investigators from the Marion Police Department determined that Dunham, who was a senior at Pleasant High School and a lifeguard at the YMCA when he committed these crimes, had installed two cameras in a restroom at the YMCA.
Grogan said the cooperation of the 17-year-old female, who was identified as one of Dunham’s victims, “played a pivotal role in the prosecution by bravely coming forward and fully cooperating with the authorities.” In a victim impact statement Grogan read to the court on Jan. 9, the young woman said she felt especially betrayed because she had been friends Dunham and his family for 10 years, attended the same school, and worked with him at the YMCA.
“I couldn’t believe that someone I knew so well, looked up to, and cared about could do something to hurt and violate someone like this, let alone hurt and violate me like this,” the young woman wrote, noting that she felt disgusted and betrayed by Dunham. “All of a sudden, my life consisted of court dates, statements, meetings with the YMCA staff, and having to listen to people constantly minimize the situation that didn’t involve them in the slightest. Considering that, I would like to give clarity to one of the statements I often heard regarding this court case: ‘He made a mistake and we should not ruin his life.’
“This could not be farther from the truth. Ben knew what he was doing when he decided to do this. His actions were his actions and no one else’s. If anything, he has ruined his own life and I hope he lives with the knowledge that I do not pity him in the slightest for his actions that he chose to commit.”
The young woman expressed condolences to Dunham’s family, whose lives she said he has negatively impacted through his criminal acts.
Grogan said the cameras, which Dunham purchased on Amazon, were disguised as a towel hook and a smoke detector. The smoke detector camera was only discovered after it fell to the floor in the YMCA restroom and authorities found an SD card inside it.
Police then determined from video footage at the YMCA that Dunham was the individual who hid the cameras in the YMCA restroom.
“It’s a sad reality that we must be vigilant even in spaces where we expect privacy. This case is a reminder of the need to be aware of our surroundings, no matter how safe they may seem,” Grogan said.
Todd Anderson, Dunham’s attorney, argued during the sentencing hearing on Jan. 9 that Dunham should not have to register as a sex offender, noting his age and the fact that it was his first offense.