LISBON — A teenage victim of a voyeur, who had recorded photographs of her allegedly starting when she was 12-years-old, bravely spoke out during his sentencing hearing in Common Pleas Court on Thursday morning.

Brian Lanzendorfer, 38, Millrock Road, New Waterford, was placed on five years of community control and must register as a Tier I sexual offender for one fifth-degree count of voyeurism. Judge Scott Washam scheduled a review hearing on Oct. 22 to see if the Eastern Ohio Correction Center or some other sex offender treatment is an option for him.

“I wish I could take back what I did,” Lanzendorfer said. “I am embarrassed and ashamed, not as much for myself, but for those who love and care about me.”

Additionally, Lanzendorfer said he has been attending church and knows the difference between right and wrong. His defense attorney, John Juhasz blamed addiction for what had driven Lanzendorfer to video record the teenager in her home. He provided Washam with letters from people touting that this was not the man they knew, a man without a criminal record.

“I want to work to continue to support my sons and teach them the life lesson that making a mistake is human,” he said. “No one is perfect, but the answer is not to hide our mistakes, but to admit to them, to deal with them and grow from them.”

Judge Scott Washam noted Lanzendorfer has tools that most people in front of him do not, both a college education and military experience. He also credited the teenager for having the courage to speak up and speak out about what had occurred.

Prior to sentencing the teenager spoke at length, sometimes through tears, about the difficult decision she made to speak up about what was happening to her, knowing there could be huge consequences not only for Lanzendorfer, but to other members of her family.

Affecting her in many ways, she said once she figured out what was happening, telling someone was going to change things for many people she loved. She was terrified about what those she loved would think of her and how younger family members would deal with what would happen if she told.

“I thought everyone would see me as a disgusting human being,” she said. “I truly thought something was wrong with me. I was afraid of getting into trouble for allowing the things that had happened to me to happen.”

She talked about how trusting she was as a child and how gifts from him made her feel. She went on to talk about how it confused her about what was actually right and wrong and made her untrusting of others.

“I knew what was happening was not okay and yet he tried to convince me it was okay as long as I kept it between us,” she said.

She also talked about how it affected her knowing someone she trusted would do something like that for his own sexual gratification.

“I could never go anywhere again without questioning whether cameras were looking at me or who was watching my body,” she said, adding she continued to feel uncomfortable with her own body. “For awhile I struggled with night terrors and being paranoid. It opened up a mind set that if someone I trusted could do something like this to me then anyone could hurt me at anytime in any manner.”

She had to relearn how people should treat her as a young girl and she continues to struggle to trust people and decipher good intentions from bad ones.

“I want to make certain he is never able to hurt another girl like this again,” she said. “Never to make her feel confused, or violated or numb, when to be safe or not… As adults we owe it to our children to make them feel protected and safe in their home if nothing else.”

She told Washam she did not have a problem with the plea agreement recommendation of community control, because sending Lanzendorfer to jail was not her reason for doing this.

“I want people to know,” she said. “I’m here so families can know to protect their daughters so they don’t have to be confused and hurt. I want kids to be safe.”

djohnson@mojonews.com