Man in court on charge of stalking ESPN's Andrews

CHICAGO — A man accused of taping surreptitious nude videos of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews while she was alone in hotel rooms appeared in federal court Saturday and was ordered returned to California.

Michael David Barrett made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys, who ordered him returned to Los Angeles, where charges against him were filed. Keys set another hearing for Monday to determine if Barrett will be freed on bond to return or must go in custody.

Barrett, 48, was arrested Friday night at O'Hare airport as he arrived from Buffalo, N.Y., the FBI said. He faces federal charges of interstate stalking for taking the videos, trying to sell them to celebrity Web site TMZ and posting the videos online, the FBI said.

Defense attorney Rick Beuke told reporters after court that he had known Barrett for about 10 years and never known him to be in trouble.

"I don't think he's even had a traffic ticket," Beuke said. "He's as regular a guy as you'll ever meet — a great friend. I must have calls from 30 people wanting to know what they could do to help."

Beuke said he did not discuss the particulars of the charge when he met briefly with Barrett on Saturday morning in court. He said he would study the complaint and try to visit Barrett at the government's Metropolitan Correctional Center where he is being held over the weekend.

Asked how Barrett had gotten interested in Andrews if the allegations are true, or how he managed to get adjacent hotel rooms, Beuke said, "I assume it's not true. But we'll know more on Monday."

Chicago FBI spokesman Ross Rice said he did not know how Barrett allegedly became interested in Andrews. Asked how he had managed to get rooms next to hers, if he did, Rice said Barrett asked. As for why the hotels would give him those rooms, he said the hotels would have to address that.

Several TV networks and newspapers had aired brief clips or printed screen grabs from the videos of Andrews in July. The 31-year-old has covered hockey, college football, college basketball and Major League Baseball for ESPN since 2004, often as a sideline reporter during games. She was named "sexiest sportscaster" by Playboy magazine in both 2008 and 2009.

Andrews was scheduled to work the Auburn-Tennessee game Saturday night in Knoxville, Tenn.

She thanked FBI agents and federal prosecutors for their work and said she hoped the case will eventually help others.