Man accused of 'peephole hacking' ESPN star

A man has been accused of hacking at hotel peepholes and replacing them with tiny cameras in order to shoot voyeur videos of ESPN presenter Erin Andrews in the nude.

According to the New York Post, the videos, which in July caused many males of uncertain character to risk computer virus invasion in order to view them, were allegedly shot by Michael Barrett, 48, of Westmont, Ill.

Barrett has been arrested and charged with interstate stalking. The criminal complaint states that Barrett allegedly acted "with the intent to harass, to place under surveillance with intent to harass and intimidate, and to cause substantial emotional distress to a person in another state."

Erin Andrews in happier times.

(Credit: CC Conspiracy of Happiness/Flickr)

In announcing the arrest, FBI agents went into some detail as to the technical means by which the videos were shot. Each of the eight videos is alleged to have been shot through the peepholes of two hotel rooms in which Andrews was staying. Barrett is accused of making efforts to secure the room next to hers.

The criminal complaint contains this quote from an FBI agent: "The inner eyepiece of the peephole screws into the sleeve for the peephole. The eyepiece had been tampered with and was shortened, and it appeared to have been hack-sawed."

The FBI believes that having hacked the peepholes, Barrett allegedly used a cell phone camera or other miniature device to shoot his infamous videos, which were originally thought to have been posted on the French DailyMotion.fr site.

Someone then tried to sell the videos to the nice folks over at TMZ.com. However, being wise to the nuances of invasion of privacy, TMZ contacted the ESPN presenter's lawyers. The feds say that the e-mail address used to make the offer of sale led them to Barrett.

For her part, Andrews, who was understandably outraged by the videos, is now considering legal action against both the person who shot them and any site that published them, according to the Associated Press.

She told Oprah last month that when she learned of their appearance on the Web: "I kept screaming: 'I'm done. My career is over. I'm done. Get it off. Get it off the Internet.'"

However, she has returned to what is, for so many, her rightful role on ESPN's college football coverage.

[spikerogan]

I fail to understand what the major fuss is over Erin Andrews. She is OK looking, I would not even think of her in the Top 50 hottest famous women.

The only reason people are crazy about her, she is thin and a bleach blonde. And why is it our media as this love affair with plain thin Aryan looking women?

I mean if your going to be a stalking peeping tom, go after Scarlette Johansen, or Milka Duno. Erin dosn't have a very nice face. She could use a new nose, would it be her third?

[ecotopian--2008]

You also fail to understand that this article isn't about how hot Erin Andrews is or isn't, or whether you could find hotter victims to stalk. It is about a criminal, disgusting invasion of privacy, not all that different from rape, if you think about it, which you clearly don't.

[Lerianis3]

Actually, exotopian, it is TOTALLY different from rape. The fact is that there is NO right to not be seen as a sexual object in this world, and to be honest.... if someone would want to see MY nude body, even if they have to go to these measures, all power to them!
I wasn't raised (thankfully to the nth power) with the idea that my body is somehow 'sinful' and that 'only people who I wish to see me nude' should see me nude. I WAS raised with the idea that only people who I wish to TOUCH ME in a sexual manner should do so, and was raised with the idea that the former and the latter are two totally freaking different things.

[terminalblue]

@ecotopian

you are an idiot for trying to place this in the category as rape. Rape is a violent sexually act carried out against a human being that leaves GENUINE deep and lasting physical and emotional scars on the victim. Erin andrews was some broad, literally caught with her pants down.

you are an idiot for even equating a peeping tom to a rapist.

[mediocrates--2008]

I quit reading these comments to click on CNET's "Girls Next Door -- Skinnydipping" link at the top of the page

[Challenger2222]

Well Spike, a man (?) of your intelligence would fail to understand just about anything so I am not surprised. The point is that this person was stalked and had videos taken of her absolutely without her permission. How would you like somone to do that to your wife, if you had one, because I am sure you don't.How about your mother? Who must have never taught you to respect women BTW. It isn't about her nose, which is really none of your business anyway, it is about her right to privacy. You are the typical male ego type and you are jealous of a woman who has succeeded far beyond what you will ever be so naturally you feel that you must insult her. Try growing out of your adolescent stage and moving forward with the rest of the planet.

[wangbang]

Lerianis3 said, "I wasn't raised (thankfully to the nth power) with the idea that my body is somehow 'sinful' and that 'only people who I wish to see me nude' should see me nude."

Okay, then send me a picture of your ugly vagina

[parttimeaw]

spikerogan reason med think she is hot is she has a passion for sports obviously like we as men do are we assume she does as she works for ESPN. Point being how cool would it be to have a woman watch the sports game with you and know whats shes talking about....EXACTLY!

[animaltoo]

Are you trying to be funny or are you just this way?

[aj37viggen]

"she has returned to what is, for so many, her rightful role..."

Okay, HOW many?

Did Matyszczyk survey ESPN viewers to find out a percentage or something?

Or is this just a pseudojournalistic way of saying, "she has returned to what is, I personally think, her rightful role..."?

It's not as if Matyszczyk has ever been reticent before with his personal opinions... why suddenly so shy and bashful?

[Worldbfree]

http://video.google.com/videosearch?rlz=1C1CHMI_enUS300US303&sourceid=chrome&q=Erin%20Andrews&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#

[terminalblue]

As far as the quailty of the video (which i have seen several times) it is one of the poorest quality in its class of an, at best, c-list celebrity. Honestly, the Fred Durst sex tape was of better quality. You can barely even tell who it is except for a few for a few seconds.

What i dont understand is with all if the invasion of privacy videos available on the new today, why does any one care about this one? it is mostly benign and innocent except for the fact that she is naked. she isn't spreading her legs and letting the basketball team breed her Spring Thomas style.

I am kind of disgusted that the FBI has gotten involved in a peeping tom case...honestly, i can't believe that they are wasting tax dollars on some pervert with a hack-saw and a camera phone. Of all the things that they could be doing, they are taking softball cases to try to fix a problem that will never go away...sexual perversion.

[jug831]

The reason this gets so much attention is that she was in her hotel room and someone taped her. She was did not make her own sex tape, walk outside naked, etc, like many others. She was just in her room, getting dressed like anyone else in a hotel room. Any one of us would be just as upset as Andrews is about this.

[AppleSuxLeo]

All she did is fiddle with her hair a LOT.
And why can`t she fix her roots on her salary ?

[dadbee]

Note to self: Check peephole at next hotel room.

Obviously this is a criminal act and huge invasion of her privacy. However the publicity was likely good for her career.

[Dalkorian]

Forget checking the peepholes, first off it's already been done and secondly would you know how to recognize what he did to the peephole? What about the hidden camera in the smoke detector, or the one behind the mirror in the bathroom?

Assume the hotel room is insecure and act accordingly. This isn't your home, it's a room in a public building. What happens in there stays on the internet.

[Challenger2222]

That is perhaps the most idiotic statement I have ever seen posted in public. You really can't be that egotistic and immature, can you? You don't think that there is something wrong with what that man did?

By all means, let's all be like you and how you were raised because the whole world is all about YOU, right! Let's not let other people decide what may be right for them, because YOU know all of the sexual morays and how all of the rest of us and our parents erred in our upbringing.

Please publish your address here so people can start stalking and sticking cameras in your windows,

Rape is not about sex you idiot. Rape is about power and making up for feelings of inadequacy by over powering them and forcing them to do something against their will, strongly against their will. That is EXACTLY what happened to that woman.

The fact that you can't or won't get that point is very scary.

**************************************************************************************************************

"Actually, exotopian, it is TOTALLY different from rape. The fact is that there is NO right to not be seen as a sexual object in this world, and to be honest.... if someone would want to see MY nude body, even if they have to go to these measures, all power to them!
I wasn't raised (thankfully to the nth power) with the idea that my body is somehow 'sinful' and that 'only people who I wish to see me nude' should see me nude. I WAS raised with the idea that only people who I wish to TOUCH ME in a sexual manner should do so, and was raised with the idea that the former and the latter are two totally freaking different things"

[Dalkorian]

The person you're replying to was sexually abused as a child and so now thinks everyone else should be too. It's "normal" to this person. Once you understand this, you can both ignore and pity this poor individual.

[Markus2008]

I had no idea this many CNET readers were so callus. Anyone who would post that they have seen this video should be banned from society. Watching this crap is promoting it, giving the original perverts a reason to keep doing it. There is plenty of consensual porn made and should be enough to satisfy even the sickest pervert.

Saying this is nothing like rape is like saying that mentally bashing your kids is not really child abuse because there was no physical contact. These are the same people who think sexual harassment is confined to slapping someone on the butt.

Maybe none of the other commenters have children, but I would have to be restrained from ending the life of the creep who did this to one of my daughters.

[gwailo247]

You would murder someone for doing this?

No offense, but perhaps you shouldn't be making judgments about who should be banned from society.

[Dalkorian]

This was a disgusting act, no doubt about it, but I'll have to side with gwailo247 on this one. Murder is a little over the top for being publicly exposed like this. She wasn't forced to do anything and it hasn't ended her career, it's just quite embarrassing. I'm guessing Erin will be a little more reserved when alone in a hotel room.

I'd be OK with someone beating the snot out of this pathetic pervert for what he did, but it's not "evil" enough to warrant death.