Emily Gurnon, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn. –
A hotel clerk was sentenced to 90 days in jail for recording the sounds of a newlywed couple having sex.
The employee of the Hotel 340, at 340 Cedar St. in downtown St. Paul, admitted he slipped an audio recorder under the door of a Minneapolis couple’s room Dec. 28.
The man and woman discovered the device and listened to the recording. The night clerk, Jeremiah Caleb Marg, 29, of Burnsville was charged with two gross-misdemeanor counts of intentional interference with privacy.
The couple experienced “extreme stress and strain” as a result of Marg’s conduct, said prosecutor John Penland.
Marg’s voice and that of his child were also recorded on the device; he had used it for taking inventory for his job, Penland said.
As part of a plea agreement with the St. Paul city attorney’s office, Marg pleaded guilty Monday, Nov. 19, to one count, which was lowered to a misdemeanor. The other count was dismissed at sentencing Monday.
Ramsey County District Judge Joanne Smith ordered Marg to turn himself in to the workhouse Jan. 14 and gave him credit for three days he has served in jail.
Marg made no statements during the hearing except to answer yes or no questions from the attorneys.
Both he and his attorney, Daniel McGarry, declined comment outside the courtroom.
