Latest on Erin Andrews hotel-stalker case: Accused stalker pleads guilty

Averting a trial that was to start next month, the ex-insurance salesman accused of stalking ESPN reporter Erin Andrews in hotels, filming videos of her through a tampered peephole and trying to sell the footage to celebrity tracker TMZ.com agreed to plead guilty, according to several reports including the LA Times.

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The deal could land Michael David Barrett, 48, of Westmont, Ill., in federal prison for up to five years, the LA Times reports.

In federal court, Barrett admitted to the intent to "harass or to cause substantial emotional distress" to Andrews and used the Internet to try to distribute his videos, according to the LA Times. The plea agreement was entered in federal court in Los Angeles yesterday, the story says.

TMZ.com reported this statement from Barrett's lawyer:

"Mr. Barrett 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. It is his sincere hope that these events can now become an opportunity to make positive changes in his life."

Perhaps a little too late for Erin Andrews?

Her lawyer, Marshall Grossman, told CNN that she's still shaken.

"She is a very strong young woman. Time is a good healer," Grossman told CNN. "However, 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."

Andrews plans to speak before the court at next week's hearing about the plea agreement, Grossman told CNN. She wants "severe punishment" for him, according to CNN.

The plea agreement filed Thursday alleges that Barrett recorded videos of Andrews while she stayed at hotels in Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Nashville, Tennessee, the CNN story says.

Among the hotels where Barrett allegedly hunted Andrews down was the Marriott Nashville at Vanderbuilt University. It was the location of seven of the eight videos of Andrews that had been posted on the Internet.

Readers: Do you view hotel privacy and/or security differently in light of the Erin Andrews hotel-stalker case?