Cary teen pleads guilty to eavesdropping

A Cary teen accused of helping a friend videotape his sexual encounter with an unknowing high school classmate pleaded guilty to a reduced charge Tuesday in a plea bargain that allows him to escape a possible felony conviction.

Stefen W. Mueller, 18, admitted guilt to a misdemeanor attempted eavesdropping as part of a deal with McHenry County prosecutors made formal in court Tuesday morning.

Under terms of the deal, Mueller was placed on one year of conditional discharge, fined $750 and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. In return for the guilty plea, authorities dismissed the felony eavesdropping charge initially filed in the case.

Cary police arrested Mueller and two friends in March after discovering a videotape they said showed the three teens hiding a video camera in a bedroom then using it to record one's consensual encounter with a 17-year-old girl. Investigators tracked down the girl and learned that she was not aware she had been recorded, police said.

Vincent Witten, 18, of Cary, pleaded guilty to an identical charge last month and was placed on one year probation, fined $500 and ordered to serve 100 hours public service.

The case against a third suspect, Nicholas B. Parfitt, 18, of Cary, is pending.