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UPDATED: Man who allegedly stalked ESPN reporter out on bail


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By David Heitz, dheitz@mysuburbanlife.com
Westmont Progress

Westmont, IL -

A Westmont man charged with federal stalking laws for allegedly trying to sell videos he recorded of a female ESPN reporter while she was undressed without her consent, is out on bond.

Michael David Barrett, 47, of the  100 block of White Birch Lane, was charged with interstate stalking after he allegedly took video of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews through the peep holes of  hotel rooms that he altered and tried to sell the video clips to celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com.

Calls to the Barrett home in Westmont were not returned.

Barrett was taken into custody Friday, Oct. 2, by the FBI at O’Hare International Airport.

Federal magistrate judge Arlader Keys ruled Monday, Oct. 5, that Barrett would be released on his own recognizance until his next court date later this month, a spokesman for Keys' office said.

“As part of the condition of his bond release, he must serve home confinement and be electronically monitored,” said Alicia Castillo, a court deputy for judge Keys’ office. He also is not allowed to use the Internet, according to authorities.

In a 33-page complaint filed Friday, Oct. 2, in Los Angeles, where TMZ is located,  the FBI alleges Barrett  altered peep holes in two different locations in the door of Andrews’ hotel room and videotaped her in the nude with a cell phone camera. One of the alleged incidents occurred at a hotel room in Nashville, Tenn., while Andrews was covering a game at Vanderbilt University for ESPN in September 2008, according to the complaint. A second incident of peep hole tampering was discovered at a Ramada hotel room in Milwaukee, Wis., in a room where Andrews had stayed in July 2008 and where Barrett had a reservation at the same hotel, authorities said.

According tot he FBI, Barrett made several video clips from the footage and posted them to the Internet. He also allegedly tried to sell the clips to the TMZ earlier this year, which notified authorities.

Westmont Police Chief Tom Mulhearn said the Westmont Police Department did not participate in the investigation or the arrest of Barrett.

He said the department has no evidence of Barrett having any criminal record or incidents involving Westmont police.

“We have a report of only one call to the home, several years ago, in regards to complaint from Barrett’s ex-wife about a missing license plate,” Mulhearn said.

The federal investigation indicated that an e-mail address to TMZ and an Internet protocol address were traced back to Barrett, according to the complaint. 

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