The Daily Dispatch

Southeast District Court Judge Richard Grosz demanded 52-year-old Anthony Siemieniewski, charged with eavesdropping, take the stand Monday prior to sentencing.

Although Siemieniewski submitted to the court an alford plea of guilty, therefore sentenced to serve 10 days in the Richland County Jail, Grosz wanted to clear up an impact statement filed by one of the two victims in the case.

"What the victims meant in their impact statement is that when he'd go on vacation he'd take video and come home and show them to his friends," said Mark Meyer, attorney to victims Skylar Holte and Heather Sondrol. "They were afraid that he took videos of them and he would do the same thing and show them to his friends."

Based on testimony given Monday, Siemieniewski placed a device with a camera and microphone in a heating duct of a rental home he owned during the 2007-2008 winter season. Tenants who rented the home later in 2008 found the camera in February 2009 and reported the crime to law enforcement. Investigation has determined that although the device did have a camera and a microphone, there was no video, but instead numerous tapes with only audio detected.

"They did not find anything indicating he was taping any of this. They found TV recordings, off the air stuff," said Assistant State's Attorney Ron McBeth. "He told police he was using it just to listen."

While under oath, Siemieniewski indicated he placed the camera in the heating duct in the bedroom in order to hear the furnace running, which he previously had problems with. The camera, he said, was hooked up to his television next door and never produced video.

"It was just black and white," Siemieniewski told the judge. "It wouldn't show anything, it was just dark."

Also as part of the plea bargain, Siemieniewski utilized his deferred imposition sentence in which he'll have to undergo two years of supervised probation, pay $500 in court administration fees and a monthly supervision fee of $45. Siemieniewski was also ordered to complete a psychological evaluation and follow through with any facilitator recommendations.

Prior to Grosz's full sentencing procedure, Holte and Sondrol both went on record, noting their discord for the plea agreement's terms.

"I think he's getting off easy... a slap on the wrist," Holte said. " I feel really stressed about this. I'm paranoid about any camera I see, again [because] it makes me think about this."

The second victim, Sondrol, claimed the incident was the worst thing that's happened to her in her lifetime.

"I will never be the same because of this, ever," she said. "I feel like he's getting away with this. He invaded my privacy, my life."

Both victims asked the defendant be ordered to register as a sex offender and serve eight months in jail, the exact time they rented out Siemieniewski's property.

"The problem is the facts don't warrant eight months," Grosz said. "This agreement would not be fair if there had been video taken... or if he had spread this around to others. I have no evidence that that occurred."

"I wouldn't want to order registration until the [psychological] report comes back," Grosz continued, discussing the matter further after sentencing.

Both attorneys agreed they'd communicate in writing and would appear at a hearing if the psychological evaluation revealed information indicating Siemieniewski should register as sex offender.

Siemieniewski checked in to the Richland County Jail at 7 p.m. Monday and is authorized work release.

He is scheduled to appear in court again Monday Sept. 28 for an initial appearance on a complaint filed by the victims.

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