ALBERT LEA, MN — A Pine City wedding photographer is accused of secretly filming a bride while she was undressing in the bridal suite of an Albert Lea venue during the wedding in fall 2020, police said.

Mitchell D. Ringness, 31, was charged last week with gross invasion of privacy (installation or use of a secret device). If convicted, Ringness faces up to a year in prison and a $3,000 fine.

In April, authorities began investigating after obtaining a video recording that showed a bride’s dressing room “shot from a very low angle,” the criminal complaint states.

The recording was handed over to the authorities by Ringness’ partner, police said.

The video recording shows a woman in underwear with her breasts facing the camera, the criminal complaint states.

The video shows the woman getting dressed and the photographer – identified as Ringness – entering the room, authorities said.

The USB stick from which the video was taken contained further depictions of sexual behavior, police said.

A detective visited the wedding venue in Albert Lea and recognized the bridal suite as the room from the video. The detective found a small round table on which a video recording device appeared to be placed, the criminal complaint states.

Investigators spoke with the bride, who said she had no knowledge of the hidden camera and did not give Ringness any money or permission for the video or boudoir photography, the criminal complaint states.