Former Syracuse University Athletics media director Roger Springfield Cahak entered a plea of guilty to one count of unlawful surveillance Thursday morning for surreptitiously recording male SU athletes in the locker rooms.

Springfield, 57, was indicted on four counts, and while he only pleaded guilty to the first count — a surreptitious recording from a Nov. 10, 2012, football game and a class E felony punishable by up to four years in jail — he admitted to all four counts in court.

The other three counts relate to a 2010 lacrosse game and incidents involving the men’s soccer team in spring 2010 and April 2012.

Springfield pleaded guilty before Onondaga County Court Judge Thomas Miller. Miller said he will sentence Springfield to 10 years probation with his guilty plea, contingent on Springfield staying out of further criminal trouble. The sentencing is currently scheduled for June 6.

Springfield’s registration as a sex offender has been left unresolved as of yet, but if the court proceeds to register him as a sex offender, Springfield will have the opportunity to withdraw his guilty plea.

James McGraw, Springfield’s attorney, said if the court does decide to register Springfield as a sex offender, the defense would undoubtedly withdraw the guilty plea. But McGraw said he is “quite confident” that the court will proceed with the sentence of 10 years probation without registering Springfield as a sex offender.

McGraw also said he has a submission from a psychiatrist explaining that Springfield never has and never will have interest in sexual behavior with anyone but his wife, and that the surreptitious recordings have nothing to do with sex, but rather Springfield’s past.

“There’s no question that he did this,” McGraw said, though Springfield did not plead guilty to sexual gratification.

McGraw said the submission was obtained because “they wanted evidence that he is not a threat.”

Jeremy Cali, representing the prosecution, said he believes Springfield should be registered as a sex offender, and that if the guilty plea is withdrawn he is prepared to argue his position.

“It’s clear from the content that it is a registerable offense,” Cali said.

McGraw said Springfield pleaded guilty because his reputation is ruined and “he wants to get on with his life.”

 

 

Published on March 28, 2013 at 2:48 pm

Contact Cheryl: cjseligm@syr.edu | @CherylSeligman