You are viewing this article in the AnnArbor.com archives. For the latest breaking news and updates in Ann Arbor and the surrounding area, see MLive.com/ann-arbor
Posted on Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:58 a.m.

U-M window peeper to serve up to 25 years in prison

By Kyle Feldscher

A man who was convicted of lurking outside of windows on and near the University of Michigan campus while touching himself and filming his victims will spend up to 25 years in prison.

Christopher Filipek, of Plymouth, was sentenced in two cases related to window peeping incidents in November 2010. On the most serious charge, indecent exposure by a sexually delinquent person, Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge David Swartz sentenced Filipek to between five years, 10 months and 25 years in prison with credit for 191 days served.

Filipek told the court he planned to rehabilitate his life and said his actions were a result of his addiction to sex. He said he wants to get more involved with religion and “be closer to Christ.”

Filipek.jpg

Christopher Filipek

“I will get better, I will be better, and I have no doubt that I can overcome my addiction,” he said.

In addition to his most serious sentence, Filipek was sentenced to 18 months to two years in prison for aggravated indecent exposure and 90 days in prison with credit for 90 days served for two counts of eavesdropping and window peeping. On the second case, Filipek was sentenced to between three and five years for each of five counts of capturing and distributing an image of an unclothed person. He will serve all of his sentences concurrently.

According to police, Filipek looked into the windows of at least three women near the University of Michigan campus in November 2010. Police said Filipek was touching himself while he was looking into the windows. After his arrest in March, police said they found video of one of the victims on his computer.

One of Filipek’s victims spoke in court about how discovering him watching her change clothes through her window affected her life, saying that she wasn’t able to sleep in her own bedroom. She said it horrified her to know that he had singled her out as one of the people to look at while she was in her private space.

“I was repeatedly on his perverted and deranged mind and that will disturb me for a while,” she said.

AnnArbor.com has chosen not to name the woman because she is a victim of a sex crime.

The victim said she looked out the window of her bedroom, which she said was inches from the headboard of her bed, and saw Filipek, a sight that paralyzed her with fear. She convinced herself that it must not have really happened but, when she discovered later that someone had watched her change, she said the feeling of total fear returned.

“He used me for his own obscene purposes,” she said.

There was some debate about whether Filipek’s crimes were predatory and caused any psychological injury to his victims.

Filipek’s attorney Mark Mandell said none of the victims in the cases sought counseling, and there was no legal reason to believe they had incurred a psychological injury. He said his client was not out to hurt anyone, and his crimes were purely for self-gratification.

“Masturbating publicly is for one person’s gratification,” Mandell said. “I’ve never known someone to masturbate publicly for someone else.”

Filipek might see more charges brought against him in the future, as both the prosecution and defense alluded to other charges that might be brought against Filipek for child pornography that was allegedly found in his possession.

Washtenaw County Assistant Prosecutor Blake Hatlem cited these photographs and videos, which allegedly include young girls and a video that appeared to be someone being raped, that were allegedly in Filipek’s possession as a reason for Swartz to not be lenient with the sentence.

Hatlem said despite working on many cases that involve sex crimes, he was disturbed by the materials that were allegedly found on Filipek’s computer.

“That should scare every single person in this county,” he said.

Kyle Feldscher covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kylefeldscher@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.

Comments

peaches

Mon, Apr 29, 2013 : 3:11 a.m.

I am quite concerned about an excessive sentence. The time spent on this could be better spent going through psychoherapy. I am concerned with judge Swartz sentencing in other cases. From some of the sentencing I've read about for horrible crimes like rape & muder, I can't rationalize the heavy judgement. Young women. if you don't want anyone to accidently or purposefully see you while you indoors at night, draw your curtains. I have always checked my windows from the outside at night while the lights were on. It it the only way to ensure privacy. There have always been peeping Toms. Life your life so as not to be a victim. I say use caution, especially in a college area where this type of activity is more common. When you walk outside swivel your head & notice your environment. Use caution in all areas of your life.

Wouldn't you like to know

Thu, Feb 2, 2012 : 2:35 a.m.

So apparently I can't say anything in defense of Chris even though I said that he admits his wrongs, is very remorseful, and wishes he wouldn't have done it and that some of the people who commented here are assuming things as fact when they have no basis for doing so going off the limited information provided here. Yet my comment gets removed when I didn't attack anyone and didn't violate the terms as far as I could see other than respond to someone and one of the moderators didn't like that I defended the perpetrator. He wants to seek rehabilitation which is limited in the correctional system, instead focusing on training prisoners to learn trades. Its sad when people are in the correctional (emphasis on that word) system when MDOC does little to actually rehabilitate prisoners. It's also sad that people who have nearly killed another are serving less time in prison (also someone I know) than his minimum sentence. I agree with Mush Room that there are better ways to deal with "peeping toms" than is displayed here...they need rehabilitation for their addiction, just like any other addiction (drugs, shopping, etc.). I also think that this could have been avoided by utilizing blinds or curtains, and closing the window but I am NOT blaming the victim either. I personally don't change in front of an open window because I don't want to give out a show to my neighbors. I also agree with Tesla in that 25 years is excessive for the offense.

drut_ferguson

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 5:42 p.m.

Curtains, people. Ever heard of them?

RJA

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 6:21 p.m.

And damn, if you can't afford curtains, drapes, shades, or blinds a sheet will do. This subject does have a problem, can it be fixed? Who knows for sure.

jj45678

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:28 p.m.

Wow. A guy who looks into windows while touching himself gets a stronger sentence than somoeone who rapes? I wonder what the *real* story is behind this story? Must have really pissed off the judge or perhaps there's something personal going on. Bring on the investigative journalists!

Tesla

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:44 p.m.

Investigative journalists? "Oh look!! A Squirrel!!!" lol

Kommandant Klink 1

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 3:56 p.m.

There has to be a less costly way to rehabilitate peepers!

Mick52

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 3:42 p.m.

He was not sentenced to 25 years for window peeping. The headline is misleading and should not have been used. The sentence is for being a sexually deviant person. See: MCL 767.61a He has a personality disorder he cannot control despite his pleading he will do so. To be sentenced like this for an offense which is a misdemeanor typically indicates he has a significantly long record of sexually related offenses and likely convictions. Despite the sentence he may not serve anywhere near that amount of time.

tinkerbell

Sun, Oct 2, 2011 : 3:34 a.m.

He was sentenced to 5 years 10 months to 25 years. It's the minimum sentence that is important here. Under the truth in sentencing law, he has to serve 5 yrs 10 mos before he can be considered for parole.

Polyjuce123

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 3:13 p.m.

I can see the possibility of his actions morphing from fantasy into actually harming someone, but also agree that this person needs therapy and not removal from society. A lengthy probation term and strict rehabilitation program either at an outpatient center would have been a more fitting sentence. I don't get the vibe this person is violent, as he honestly described his problem. This alone should show that he is capable of benefiting from therapy.

Ignatz

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 3:11 p.m.

25 years? He could have secured a position with one of our many law enforcement agencies and monitored activities of citizens acting in a "suspicious" manner. After the same 25 years, he could have retired.

racerx

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 1:14 p.m.

Wow! Up to 25 years! But, Bolen, the guy who was convicted with intent to commit sexual penetration and just recently accused of attacking a women on the Westside recently, served less than two years before he was back out and committed another crime. This needs to be explained to me!

Tesla

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 4:01 p.m.

I thought the exact same thing.

Davidian

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 12:27 p.m.

Tough talk from the courts. Guy spends 6-14 months in prison with time served and walks free to be a pervert for Christ... Bank on it.

arationalone

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 12:23 p.m.

Will someone do the math on the dollar value of this guy's future child victim? Videos of young girls + "touching himself" right outside a college student's bedroom = anticipated sex assault. Which hopefully won't happen at this guy's hands for 25 years. What's that worth?

Craig Lounsbury

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 1:08 p.m.

to alan's comment I would add that "college student" and "young girl" do not equate. A college student is a young woman.

alan

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 12:57 p.m.

"Videos of young girls + "touching himself" right outside a college student's bedroom = anticipated sex assault." Doesn't sound like a rational or reasoned conclusion to me. Kind of like thinking that gay men must be child molesters.

smokeblwr

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 12:09 p.m.

"Masturbating publicly is for one person's gratification," Mandell said. "I've never known someone to masturbate publicly for someone else." This guy has never been to Mardi Gras or a Jobbie Nooner.

Craig Lounsbury

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 12:02 p.m.

This guy clearly has problems but I too wonder if up to 25 years in prison is an answer. I don't in any way condone his actions nor do I blame the victims, but if one closes their curtains or blinds when changing it can mitigate the possibility of being seen, either by a peeping tom or a passing pedestrian.

bedrog

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 11:52 a.m.

This creep want s to get "closer to christ" ?? I bet Christ has other thoughts on the matter, given what goes on when the perp "gets close."

Tesla

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 11:30 a.m.

I am a big fan of personal responsibility, cause and affect etc etc but 25 years for window peeping seems excessive.

Tom Joad

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 11:20 a.m.

Describing his crime as 'touching himself' is quite a euphemism considering the lengthy prison term handed down in this case. He was masturbating in front of the window, as his lawyer described it, which obviously impacted the victim greatly. What a creep.

Mush Room

Fri, Sep 30, 2011 : 11:10 a.m.

5 to 25 years. At $35,000 per year per prisoner, this will cost Michigan tax payers somewhere between $175,00 and $875,000 for incarceration expenses. I don't want to pay that much to rehabilitate a peeping Tom. There has got to be a better way to deal with bozos like this.