Benjamin Smyth: University of Utah swimmer flees to Canada after he was charged with raping female student
Warning: This article contains recollection of sexual abuse that may trigger some readers. Discretion is advised.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, An arrest warrant has been issued for a University of Utah swimmer who has been suspected of fleeing to his home country Canada after being accused of raping a female student. Benjamin Dennis Kai Smyth, 19, allegedly attacked the girl in her dorm room in 2022.
Police claim Smyth "pushed her shoulders to the floor" as she yelled "no" after repeatedly telling him she didn't want to have sex. The claimed attack took place in August 2022 and the student filed a complaint in February. He claimed not to know the victim in the initial questioning. Then he added that although they "had sex", it was consenting. His roommate claimed that he had packed his bags when police showed up days later to serve him with a restraining order.
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Who is Benjamin Dennis Kai Smyth?
Benjamin Dennis Kai Smyth was a sophomore who competed for the Utah swimming and diving team. He placed second in the platform diving event in the Pac-12 championships in his first year, as per The Salt Lake Tribune.
What is his crime?
According to the allegations brought before the 3rd District Court, Smyth has been accused of abusing a woman sexually on August 16, 2022, in her dorm room. The charges allege that the former diver entered the woman's room, removed her clothes without her permission, and forced her to engage in several sexual acts before raping her. Smyth currently has an active arrest warrant. According to court filings, prosecutors have asked that Smyth be detained without bail since they claim that he departed "only after learning of an investigation."
'To feed his ego'
In court records, the prosecution stated that Smyth frequently boasted about the number of women he had sex with and keeps "a list of women he has sex with and shares the list with people to show off and 'feed his ego,'" according to the prosecution.
What are the charges against him?
Smyth faces charges of one count of rape, one count of forcible sodomy, and one count of sexual abuse.
What sentence could he get?
Two of the three counts are first-degree felonies, which are punishable by five years to life in prison if found guilty. One count of sexual abuse is a second-degree felony, punishable by one to 15 years in jail.
What did the athletic department say?
Smyth's athlete group said in their statement that the 19-year-old was immediately suspended on February 20. "On February 16 we were made aware of a serious allegation involving a member of our men’s swimming and diving program," the athletic group stated in a prepared statement.
"Upon being notified by the University’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) of a pending investigation, Ben Smyth was immediately suspended on Feb. 20 from all team activities. We take matters of this type very seriously, and have continued to monitor the situation. We will not have further comment as this matter proceeds through the legal process," the statement read, as per Salt Lake Tribune.