Michael David Barrett, an Illinois insurance executive, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison after being found guilty of invading ESPN reporter Erin Andrews’ privacy. Barret has pleaded guilty of secretly shooting nude videos of Erin.
A federal court in Los Angeles announced the verdict against Michael Barrett, who was indulged in the crime in three hotels, taking nude pictures through the peepholes. Barret would later post the videos on the Internet.
Erin says she is fearful of entering hotels now and the ordeal continues to haunt her. She expressed her unhappiness over the court verdict, saying, "I'm at the angry stage. I'm mad. Thirty months isn't enough."
However, District Judge Manuel Real said that he could impose only 30 months of imprisonment, though he was personally in favor of more stringent punishment for the guilty. He said, "The victim, Andrews, will be suffering with this problem for the rest of her life. There is no life sentence that can be imposed upon him, except his own guilt."
To add more to Barret’s trouble was Erin’s lawyer Marshall Grossman’s statement that more cases would soon come up in other districts against the guilty, who has been accused of the same act by many other women, who say he uploaded 16 such videos on a website.
Barret’s attorney said that his client was remorseful of the act and that he had lost his career, fiancee, and savings, adding, "He's tremendously remorseful and broken by what he's done. There's the public humiliation he suffered and yes, he brought that on himself."
On one hand, Barret said, "There are no words to tell Ms. Andrews how sorry I am for what I've done to her. I hope someday she can forgive me."
On the other hand, Erin Andrews, in tears, said: "He says he's suffering public humiliation? I'm suffering public humiliation. This will never be over for me." Accusing Barrett, she said, "You violated me and you violated all women. You are a sexual predator, a sexual deviant and they should lock you up."
Now Barrett will have to seek approval of a probation officer to stay in a hotel. Along with serving imprisonment, Barrett will have to pay a fine of $5,000.
