CORTLAND, Ohio (WKBN) — A Mineral Ridge man and former guitar teacher accused of taking cellphone video of a woman in a South High Street grocery store pleaded guilty on Monday in Central District Court to a charge of voyeurism.
Kirk Sackela, 50, pleaded guilty to a charge of voyeurism, a first-degree misdemeanor.
He was sentenced to two years of probation and must also register as a Tier I sex offender.
Sackela was arrested on a warrant on July 25 at a South High music store he worked at until he was charged with taking video on July 18 of a woman who was getting groceries.
Reports said a woman called police about 7 p.m. on July 18 and met an officer at the grocery store, telling the officer that she thought a man was following her around and taking video of her with his cellphone.
The woman told police she could see the light on the man’s phone that shows the video camera is on. Reports said police reviewed surveillance video from inside the store and it shows a man later identified as Sackela following the woman around the store and holding his phone at different angles to get shots under her buttocks and possibly up her shorts, the report stated.
At one point, reports said, the video showed that Sackela got very close to the woman.
After the woman checked out at a register, Sackela could be seen staring at her and went to the lobby. The woman received an escort because she was concerned about being followed, reports said.
Sackela also went to the parking lot, got into his car and drove away. Employees were able to get his license plate number and give it to police, reports said.
