Man agrees to plead guilty in ESPN reporter case
By GREG RISLING
Associated Press Writer
LOS ANGELES — An insurance executive agreed to plead guilty to interstate stalking after secretly making nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews, according to court documents filed Thursday and first obtained by The Associated Press.
Michael Barrett, 48, will plead guilty in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles on Tuesday, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman with the U.S. attorney’s office. He could face up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
Barrett is suspected of renting hotel rooms adjacent to Andrews in three cities last year, altering the peepholes and shooting videos of Andrews in two of the locations.
Barrett is accused of uploading the videos to the Internet and trying to sell them to celebrity gossip site TMZ this year. Several TV networks and newspapers aired or published images of Andrews taken from the videos.
“He does accept full responsibility for his conduct,” said Barrett’s attorney David Willingham. “He apologizes to Ms. Andrews. It is his hope that these events can become an opportunity to make positive changes in his life.”
An e-mail message left with attorney Marshall Grossman, who represents Andrews, was not immediately returned.