By Paul M. Banks

The sick weirdo who secretly videotaped Erin Andrews through a peephole was arrested last night at O’Hare International Airport. Who says there’s no justice in the world? Today, there’s a little bit more as the sports media industry’s answer to Bernie Madoff -from a public outrage standpoint, not from an illegal profiteering perspective- was caught and is currently awaiting his first court appearance in the Windy City today.

He’s 48-year-old Michael David Barrett, and the FBI believes he was the perv who planned and shot her infamous voyeuristic footage. Just to be clear this is not Michael Barrett the former Cubs catcher who once got into a dugout fist fight with Carlos Zambrano. EA’s statement, released late last night, gave thanks to “ESPN for its support during this difficult time” and vowed to become the poster girl against such crimes. “I hope that today’s action will help the countless others who have been similarly victimized. I will make every effort to strengthen the laws on a state and federal level to better protect victims of criminal stalking. I am also grateful to those who have expressed their concerns and good wishes for my family and me.”

Erin Andrews recently appeared on Oprah and vowed to do whatever she can to help bring the perverted criminal to justice. Many of Oprah’s guests and viewers are victimized women, and EA’s appearance was yet another opportunity for victimized women everywhere to build strength through community. Of course, most of them are not the publicity machine that Andrews is.
EA’s lawyer stated that the arrest was “a welcome step in bringing this investigation to a successful close. It is now clear that she was the victim of stalking and invasion of privacy at more than one location. She was not a random victim. She was targeted and violated.”

The case being brought against Barrett is “interstate stalking” for his alleged clandestine filming a naked Andrews changing clothing and walking around her private hotel room through a peephole- and of course then attempting to distribute the tape for remunerative compensation. Barrett’s arrest and impending court appearance gives the sports blogosphere a reason to focus on Chicago…for a reason other than what happened yesterday with that 2016 thing.