11/21/24
October 03, 2009
Arrest Made in Erin Andrews Stalking Case: The FBI has arrested a Chicago man on charges of surreptitiously filming ESPN reporter Erin Andrews in her hotel room and attempting to sell the videos to TMZ. Michael David Barrett, 48, faces federal charges of interstate stalking. FBI agents believe Barrett called many hotels to find out where she was staying and requested a hotel room next to hers, then filmed her through a modified door peephole with a cellphone camera.
What kind of hotel would tell people that a high-profile guest is staying there and honor a request for an adjacent room? If I was Erin Andrews -- now there's a weird line of thought -- I'd sue the hotel for going the extra mile for stalkers.
posted by rcade at 12:32 PM on October 03, 2009
I know, the hotels (and are there eight of these looselipped hotels if there are eight incidents?) are gonna get it in the neck.
The comments on that Fox news article are quite insightful. Into a certain mindset. And ignorant one, you might say.
posted by rumple at 03:03 PM on October 03, 2009
Ah, ok, it seems to suggest two hotels involved, need better reading comprehension I guess (though it does say rooms):
FBI agents said seven of the eight videos posted online were taken through a modified door peephole while the 31-year-old Andrews was alone and undressed in hotel rooms in Nashville, Tenn., in September 2008.
FBI agents said they believe Barrett called many hotels to find out where Andrews was staying and requested a hotel room next to hers. Investigators said the eighth video was likely taken at another hotel, which Andrews couldn't identify.
posted by rumple at 03:35 PM on October 03, 2009
Never did see the pictures. Which given the hype surrounding them is somewhat disappointing. I like to at least see what I'm supposed to be condemning.
posted by Drood at 04:16 PM on October 03, 2009
Never did see the pictures. Which given the hype surrounding them is somewhat disappointing. I like to at least see what I'm supposed to be condemning.
How noble of you to want to see Erin Andrews naked, as filmed clandestinely and without her consent by some sort of psychotic freak.
Just so you can condemn it, of course.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:42 PM on October 03, 2009
You don't want to see Erin Andrews naked? I mean, I don't necessarily think under these terms, but let's not be ridiculous here.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 07:15 PM on October 04, 2009
This conversation has taken a weird turn. I don't think it's ridiculous to avoid this video on the grounds it's a criminal and offensive violation of privacy. It shouldn't be "somewhat disappointing" not to see the video. It should be unconscionable to see it, knowing how it was filmed.
posted by rcade at 07:35 PM on October 04, 2009
The whole thing is creepy and gross. What a scary turn of events for Andrews! Some weird stalker following her around from city to city creating peep holes to videotape her? I think it is pretty reasonable to avoid the videos based solely on the high pervert factor involved.
posted by bperk at 09:14 AM on October 05, 2009
I saw the videos (saw them posted online before the story broke and thought they were just a hoax) and... Meh. They look like grainy pics shot with a cheap cell phone camera through a makeshift peephole. Aside from that, it's just a woman getting dressed. She's not dancing coquettishly to Cyndi Lauper, not admiring herself in a mirror. She's just getting dressed.
To be honest, I thought they were fake until the news broke. You can't really make out a face, which should clue you to the fact that you can't make out much else either. You get a general idea of how her butt is shaped and a slight intuition as to the shape/size of her boobs. You could get the same thrill pulling up pictures of her in tight pants/shirt.
Now that I find out all the effort that this boob went through to get these videos and I think, "Moron! Get a better camera next time!" Seriously, all the planning that went into this and you couldn't get a decent camera with a tripod? What a tool.
Creepy and gross? You bet. But if you're going to go there, rent a good camcorder.
posted by LostInDaJungle at 09:53 AM on October 05, 2009
Creepy and gross? You bet. But if you're going to go there, rent a good camcorder.
What's "creepy and gross" is how you can call it "creepy and gross" yet would like for this jerkoff to have recorded his crime with a "decent camera with a tripod". Creepy...and gross.
I love me some Erin Andrews but if I can't get to see her naked by being in a relationship with her or her posing for Playboy, then this is not the way I would like to see her goodies.
posted by BornIcon at 03:28 PM on October 05, 2009
wow..I was way wrong about this. I was sure it was a guy who was just blindly recording people in the adjacent room and *accidentally* happened to get her as one of his targets.
But based on the case sounds like he targeted her, followed her around to different hotels, and worked to get specifically her. The definition of stalking.