A former member of the University of Utah Men’s Swimming and Diving Team has reportedly left the country after a student accused him of sexually assaulting her late last year in her dorm.
Benjamin Smyth (19), a sophomore at the University of Utah, met a young woman who was not named in December last year. Smyth, along with some friends, approached the girl as she was reading a novel. The girl and Smyth exchanged information and he contacted her shortly after.
Smyth, according to reports, discovered that the woman was alone in her room and paid her a surprise visit. Smyth began to kiss her as soon as he gained entry into her room. He also allegedly pressed her for various sexual acts. Court documents state that the girl told him repeatedly that she “did not want to do this.” Smyth, according to the court documents, ignored her protests.
The incident was not reported until February. Documents claim that detectives conducted an initial interview with Smyth. He initially denied knowing the victim, but later admitted to having “sex” with her on his first meeting. Smyth was found to be a man who regularly boasted about his sexual conquests. This is especially true for women who have lost their virginity. One friend described him as “cocky” and others said that he kept track of all the women he had sexual relations with.
The police then tried to serve Smyth a restraining ordnance, but upon arriving at his U of U room, they discovered that Smyth had returned to Vancouver, British Columbia, where he was born.
Smyth, who was absent from court on Monday, was charged with rape and sexual abuse. Smyth was already suspended from all swimming and diving activities. The university also issued a press release about the allegations against him. The statement stated that “on February 16, we became aware of a serious accusation against a member of our men’s swim and dive program.” Ben Smyth, upon being informed by the Office of Equal Opportunity at the University of a pending inquiry, was suspended from all team-related activities on February 20. We take such matters very seriously and continue to monitor the situation.
Smyth’s picture has been taken off the website of the university, but there are reports that he is an accomplished diver. He placed second at the Pac-12 Championships for the platform event as a freshman and then went on to compete at the NCAA Championships, both in the three-meter and platform events. He may have also participated in a contest just a few days before the alleged assault.
