Erin Andrews’ stalker gets 27-month prison term

By Adam Silverstein
March 16, 2010

An Illinois insurance executive found guilty of secretly filming former Florida Gators dazzler turned ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews nude in her hotel room on numerous occasions was sentenced to a 27-month prison term Monday. Though Barrett cried in court and attempted to provide a sincere apology, Andrews rebuffed him with vigor.

“You violated me and you violated all women,” Andrews said. “You are a sexual predator, a sexual deviant and they should lock you up.” She went on to say that a sentence of “thirty months isn’t enough” because “It’s my body on the Internet. I’m being traumatized every single day for what he did […] This will never be over for me.”

After his release, Barrett, 48, will be subject to supervised probation for three years and will not be allowed to stay in a hotel without prior approval by a probation officer. He is also prohibited from contacting Andrews or anyone close to her for that period of time and, should he accept employment anywhere, the government will notify Andrews.
“There are no words to tell Ms. Andrews how sorry I am for what I’ve done to her,” Barrett said in court. “I hope someday she can forgive me.”

Though the case is now closed in California, other states may prosecute Barrett for the up to 32 different videos he loaded of potentially 16 other women.

OGGOA has more details on this story after the jump…

Barrett followed Andrews across the country over at least a period of nine months, calling numerous hotels in each of her stops to determine where she was staying. Federal agents say Barrett would check into a room next to her, alter the peephole device of her room and secretly shoot video of her before e-mailing it to a personal account. He shot videos in at least three locations: Columbus, OH; Nashville, TN; and Milwaukee, WI, and videotaped other women as well, uploading the files to DailyMotion.com.

An interstate stalking conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000, though Barrett’s plea deal was for less than half of that sentence. Andrews and her attorney, Marshall Grossman, did not agree to the deal at first and addressed the court on Feb. 22 to ask for harsher punishment.
“Mr. Barrett has lost everything he built throughout his life,” Barrett’s lawyer, David Willingham, said. “He’s lost his career, his fiancee and his life savings. He knows that he brought this on himself.”

One Comment

  1. Sarah Bea says:

    What a beautifully written and compassionate article. How sad the subject had to be so detestable.

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