Man who secretly videotaped ESPN's Erin Andrews gets 30 months in prison
A Los Angeles federal judge today sentenced a Chicago businessman to 30 months in prison for secretly shooting video of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews and and posting it on the Internet.
Michael David Barrett, 49, was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $7,366.
Barrett, 48, of Westmont, Ill., pleaded guilty to
various charged in December, including having the intent to "harass or to
cause substantial emotional distress" to Andrews. He admitted that he
used the Internet to try to distribute his videos.
At the December hearing, Andrews spoke out against Barrett.
“He stalked me in a calculated way,” Andrews told the court. “I’ve been humiliated. I’ve been embarrassed and my career has been ripped apart.”
Barrett was accused of shooting videos of Andrews through peepholes in hotel rooms in three states, posting the videos on the Internet and trying to sell them to celebrity website TMZ.com, court records show.
In February 2008, Barrett stayed in the room next to Andrews in Columbus, Ohio, where he used a peephole to secretly shoot video of her naked in her room, according to the plea agreement.
Barrett also spied on Andrews at a Nashville hotel in September 2008 and shot video of her while she was unclothed, the plea agreement states.
Seven of the eight videos posted on an Internet site apparently were taken in the Nashville hotel room, according to federal authorities.
“I am subject to crude comments," she told the court in December. "I walk into stadiums, and fans make crude comments to me. I have nightmares about this sexual predator.”
--Shelby Grad
Photo: Associated Press
EDITOR'S PICKS:
ok 30 months is 2.5 years. thats a little too extreme. no one was hurt in this incident and many boys were made happy by his actions. HOLLA
Posted by: common_sense | March 15, 2010 at 04:09 PM
Wow, way too little. If he serves, say, 80% (the minimum here in California), he's out in 24 months. It baffles me that some kid with no prospects caught dealing crack gets a decade but the most invasive stalkers representing a clear threat aren't given representative sentences.
Posted by: Elektron | March 15, 2010 at 04:47 PM
HUBBA, HUBBA!
Posted by: H. Craig Bradley | March 15, 2010 at 04:53 PM
Prison is not the answer for non-violent offenses. Why should we keep using "correctional" methods that were established a thousand years ago?
Posted by: gl21 | March 15, 2010 at 05:12 PM
I'm not sure what sentence this idiot should have gotten according to the technical aspects of the law, but I saw video of him leaving the court building and he deserved at least another 30 months if only for the smug look on his face...
Posted by: spatter | March 15, 2010 at 06:03 PM
What a joke. This judge has got to go. As long as weak sentences are given out we will continue to have more Chelsea Kings' die at these sickos hands. I call on the President to remove this judge and restore some faith in the system.
Posted by: David C | March 15, 2010 at 06:18 PM
$7366 in restitution??!! For ruining her career. This has probably helped her career.
Posted by: woody | March 15, 2010 at 06:18 PM
He will only do 15 months, and get out. He will try it again on someone else. There should not have been a plea deal.
Posted by: J.H Brown | March 15, 2010 at 09:18 PM
I think she thoroughly enjoys all the publication this got her. Before this happened very few even knew her name. Just out of curiosity - who walks around naked in hotel rooms? Something is just not right here and he probably got shafted. I just don't believe she is all innocent in this.
Posted by: PJ | March 16, 2010 at 11:33 AM
That's a pretty harsh sentence, if she didn't want to be video taped naked, she should have left her clothes on. She should be paying HIM for all the POSITIVE publicity she got. She's at fault, hot him.
Posted by: noname | April 06, 2010 at 03:01 PM
Odd that there's no mention of him having to register as a sex offender. These days the registry is loaded with people who've committed minor offenses like indecent exposure and "sexting", so it seems only fair this guy should also be thrown on there as well.
Posted by: vio | April 07, 2010 at 07:38 AM