Freeborn County District Court Judge John A. Chesterman on Monday sentenced Home Solutions Midwest owner Paul Field to probation and a fine for placing a remote video camera in a vent in the restroom at his business.

Chesterman ordered that Field, 62, be on probation for two years. If he violates that probation, he will be required to serve 180 days in jail. He also must pay a $1,000 fine plus $80 in court costs and complete an adult sex offender treatment program.

Field was arrested in March after a woman employed at Home Solutions reported the camera to police. The camera transmitted a live feed to Field’s office.

“I am here today because I did do something that was wrong. I recognize that,” Field said, noting that he has suffered much because of his actions.

Field’s lawyer, Dan Donnelly, said his client is embarrassed and remorseful for his actions and has been in counseling for the past nine months.

Field in September pleaded guilty to interference with privacy as part of a plea agreement between his lawyer and Mower County Attorney Kristen Nelsen. He initially faced three charges, including a felony charge for harassment, a gross misdemeanor charge for harassment and a gross misdemeanor charge for interference with privacy.

The Mower County Attorney’s Office has been handling the case because of a conflict between Field and an employee of the Freeborn County Attorney’s Office.

Under the agreement, both sides recommended Field be required to serve 180 days of jail only if he committed a similar offense or did not obey the law during the next year. They did not make a recommendation about probation but recommended a $1,000 fine.

An assessment completed prior to sentencing, however, recommended Field serve an initial 30 days in jail, followed by a staggered jail sentence.

In court on Monday, Donnelly said he thought sentencing Field to jail time would be violating the agreement, and if this happened his client would withdraw the plea.

Nelsen argued that Chesterman was not bound by the agreement and said the agreement was just a recommendation.

Nelsen also read a victim’s impact statement out loud for the courtroom from the former Home Solutions Midwest employee who discovered the camera.

The statement stated the employee had been employed by Home Solutions for 10 years and was a dedicated employee when she found the camera.

She stated this situation has made her feel weak, violated, humiliated and sad and that she lives in fear. She said she has the right to be a productive employee without the fear of discrimination.

As part of the sentencing Chesterman ordered that Field have no contact with the former employee and that he not access or possess pornography. He is to have no Internet access without a program that bans pornography access.

Chesterman stated Field will be supervised by the Freeborn County Court Services office, unless he chooses another county to have the supervision.