Man to plead guilty to stalking Andrews

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- An Illinois man accused of secretly videotaping ESPN reporter Erin Andrews in hotel rooms will plead guilty to a federal stalking charge, court papers say.

Michael David Barrett, 48, of Westmont is accused of videotaping Andrews nude through peepholes and posting videos of her online.

He is to plead guilty to interstate stalking on Tuesday, Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in the Central District of California, told CNN.

Barrett allegedly altered peepholes at hotels where Andrews was staying, shot video of her and posted posted seven videos on the Internet, the U.S. network reported.

David Willingham, Barrett's lawyer, issued a statement saying his client accepts "full responsibility for his conduct."

"He apologizes to Ms. Andrews and expresses his deep regret for his conduct that caused her so much pain," the statement said.

Barrett was charged in Los Angeles because some of his alleged crimes occurred there, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The stalking charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, CNN said.

Andrews, 31, covers college football games as a sideline reporter and travels widely. She is now accompanied by beefed-up security, her lawyer, Michael Grossman, said.

"She continues to feel and experience the ramifications of what occurred every time she steps foot into a hotel room, and in her business, she lives in hotel rooms," Grossman said.

Andrews plans to speak before the court at Barrett's hearing, he said.